Dragon Training
by littleshyangel
Summary: One Island. One Objective. Kill the dragons. So what happens when Merlin goes against everything he's been taught and begins to befriend a dragon rather than kill it? And with Prince Arthur getting suspicious, can Merlin keep his dragon a secret?
1. Dragons

**Yes, I've written another story XD This idea recently came to me and I thought it would be an interesting twist for the two boys. Merlin and Arthur I mean. It's based on 'How to train your dragon' that came out this year in cinemas.**

**Hope you enjoy and R&R if you like it =)**

Camelot is a small island in the middle of nowhere. Most of the houses you'll see are brand new and it rains 9 months of the year. There is fishing, hunting and charming views of the sunsets from the higher parts of the land. The only problems are the pests. Other places you can find have mice, rats or mosquitos. Camelot has dragons.

The people on this island fight the dragons whenever they appear as all have proved themselves at a younger age through a training course that they could handle the situation. Those that do not pass or were not suited to the task of defeating dragons, end up being killed or working as servants.

Merlin was one of these people.

* * *

A pair of blue eyes shot open at the sound of yells coming from outside. The dragons had returned. Again.

Jumping to his feet, Merlin pulled on some clothes and decent boots that he could run around in. During these brief few minutes he heard more yelling and even a few screams, meaning people were getting injured or worse, killed. He would be needed like normal and if he didn't get there soon then one person in particular would be pissed off at him.

Once dressed he rushed outside and only by luck avoided getting hit by shots of fire as he went towards the building where his friend Will was busy at work. Slipping through the door, Merlin winced as a hand slapped him on the back of his head, "Where on earth have you been?"

"Sorry. Didn't realise we were under attack."

"Sometimes I wonder how you even get up in the morning," Gaius said and shoved him towards a pile of swords. "Those needs sharpening. We have a higher demand compared to usual."

Merlin went over and picked up one, "Maybe I would be more useful out there battling the dragons." Swinging the sword up, he gasped as he knocked it into another kind of weapon and it shot out to hit someone in the head.

"You'd get someone killed simply by holding a sword! Now hurry up Merlin, I can't do this by myself," Will said as he handed out swords to people rushing over with no weapon to hand. That meant they either didn't have time to pick up their own or a dragon had disposed of it easily.

"That's why you'd make things that could use a sword for you," Merlin muttered and got to work.

It was only a few minutes later when Will threw the swords down and picked up an axe as he went for the door, "They need help. Merlin stay here with Gaius."

Jealous eyes watched as Will headed out into the battle field with his axe held high in the air as he advanced on one of the smaller dragons. How come people like Will got to do dragon training and yet Merlin wasn't even given the chance? He could do it. Dragon's couldn't be that tough to kill.

Deciding that today would be the day he showed everyone that he was more than just a blacksmith, he grabbed the contraption he'd made and attacked it to his back. Ignoring the sound of Gaius yelling after him, he went outside and went straight for one of the higher parts of Camelot.

Along the way he spotted some people he knew battling a fire dragon. Gwen had a bucket of water in one hand and threw the contents at the open mouth that would have no doubt turned her to ash if allowed to shoot fire. She may not have done dragon training but she was braver then most women Merlin knew.

Next he saw Gwaine jumping on the back of a small rock dragon by leaping off the roof of a nearby building, he would be called insane if he didn't have the reputation of being able to take down a dragon single handedly. Once the dragon was on the ground he signaled Lancelot and Leon to help him trap it so it could be used in dragon training at a later date.

Shaking his head so to clear his mind of ideas to go help them, he ran to his destination point and set up his contraption. Merlin folded out the legs so it would be secure and turned the catapult to point towards the sky, his hands now holding tightly onto the release as his eyes tried to make out any shape in the sky.

For it is said that there is but one dragon no one has ever caught or seen. It is as dark as the night sky and faster then any of the others dragons, it's only appearances was on nights like these when the battle had grown to such a scale that most of the island looked on fire.

"Come on, give me something to shoot at."

He would not return home without the news he'd done something to help the island. Merlin was sick of being treated like a fool, especially by the prat he saw almost every day and who kept boasting about his conquests in the battles.

Minutes passed and there was no sign of any dragons in the sky. Merlin was beginning to lose patience when suddenly he saw some of the stars being blocked out by something, that something was heading straight for the island and a small smile crept to his lips. "Gotcha," he muttered and his hand squeezed the trigger.

The net flew into the air at such a speed that the dragon had no chance of escaping and Merlin threw a hand into the air as he saw the beast falling to the ground, it's body now would be lying amongst the trees in one of the outer forests. He'd done it. Merlin had actually shot down the toughest dragon and he turned to see if anyone had seen.

"Did anyone see that? I shot down a-" he began to yell but a hot breath came against the back of his neck and he turned to face a fire dragon. One that looked extremely ticked off. "I didn't mean you," Merlin nervously said and started walking backwards.

It was only when it opened it's mouth that Merlin turned and ran for his life. He ducked after glancing over his shoulder to see fire heading his way. Darting behind a beam holding up one of the lights of Camelot, he held his breath as fire appeared either side of him as the dragon tried to melt the beam away.

When silence followed, Merlin peeked his head around to see the dragon was gone. Maybe it had gotten bored? Breathing a sigh of relief he turned to look the other way to come nose to nose with the dragon. "Oh damn-" he covered his head and turned away as the dragon opened it's mouth. Except the pain never came.

Eventually he plucked up the courage to see what had happened and saw a few meters away that the dragon had a new opponent. The prat had turned up just in time, as always. Merlin watched as he drew out his sword and fought the dragon that was now out of juice so couldn't produce fire. It was a short battle as the dragon figured out it would lose and flew into the sky where no one could follow.

That seemed to signal that the dragon's should follow as the sky was soon filled with dark figures flying off into the distance. The people around Merlin dropped their weapons and turned to look at him as the beam behind him fell from the damage, the light at the top vanishing off the edge of the cliff as it fell towards people's homes.

"Oops," Merlin muttered as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Where is he?"

Merlin knew it was him that the man was talking about and he ran for his life. He'd rather face another dragon than the man who was now chasing him. He made it all the way back to his home before a firm grasp came around his wrist and held him in place. "Please wait-"

"I thought I told you that you were not to do something like that again! Remember what happened last time Merlin? You almost got an entire family killed. Are you so idiotic that you can't see that you fighting dragons isn't going to help anyone."

"I just thought that-"

"Just don't think Merlin. Stop trying to be something you're not. It's people like me who will defend this island. Not you. Don't let me find you doing something like that again, are we clear?"

"Yes … Arthur."

He watched as the prat walked away to see the damage to his father's island and Merlin fell back against the door, holding his wrist in his hand that had been held tightly. Arthur often got mad at Merlin when he tried to get involved in the battles and Merlin always ended up with some kind of bruise as Arthur tried to show him exactly how weak he was.

Today he'd gone easy on him. Nothing was even thrown at Merlin's head. However there was no doubt that tomorrow there would be a knock at his door from the young Prince and he'd be told exactly how dangerous tonight had been.

Merlin hadn't even had the chance to tell Arthur he'd shot down a dragon before the fire one had caught him red handed. Tomorrow he would find it and kill it. Then he'd show Arthur he wasn't idiotic and useless.


	2. Seeking And Finding

**Thank you for people putting this story as a favourite already =) Made me smile a lot!**

**I know this story has a bit of an iffy start but in later chapters it'll be better, especially when Arthur starts getting more involved.**

**Enjoy and please review, it's what keeps the story going**

* * *

A few days had passed since the last dragons attack and refurbishment was well on its way to being completed. After being attacked so many times the people of Camelot had gotten quite good at fixing things that had been destroyed. Mainly their homes.

Now the villagers got on with their daily lives as they waited for the next attack. For it was what many looked forward too as their normal activities did nothing to excite them and you often spotted them staring into the sky in hope of spotting a dragon.

Merlin on the other hand had other things on his mind.

* * *

"I'm telling you I hit it! I aimed, shot and fired that dragon down. It landed in the forest somewhere, if you could just come with me and I'll show you." Merlin had been begging the Prince for days to come with him. He wasn't the strongest of men and he needed someone there incase the dragon attacked but apparently it was a waste of the Prince's time.

"I have better things to do then chase after a dragon that doesn't exist," Arthur explained as he went through some paperwork at his desk. "Would you leave me in peace? I have work to do and you still haven't cleaned my boots. I asked you to do that days ago."

"I'm not your servant!"

"Gaius said you could help me out with smaller jobs when he didn't need you and you're not exactly busy. Clean my boots. That's an order."

"Fine! I'll go find the dragon myself!"

Picking up the abandoned boots, Merlin stormed from the room and made sure to slam the door on his way out. If Arthur thought he was getting his boots back he had another thing coming. Gaius may have offered Merlin's services but that didn't make him a servant, he was a blacksmith for god sake, he had plenty of other jobs to be doing. Like finding his dragon.

Once he was on the outskirts of the town, Merlin changed his boots over for Arthur's since they would give him a better grip on the ground and left in a run so he could search quicker. There were only so many hours he could be gone before people asked questions.

Searching over ledges and near boulders where the dragon might have sought for some form of protection, Merlin was well into his third hour of searching when he finally stumbled upon the dragon. At first he hadn't spotted it as it was hidden in the shadows of a nearby tree but when it's eyes had opened, as it sensed Merlin's presence, the light emitted from the pupils had caught Merlin's attention.

Now he stood looking at the dragon that didn't appear that dangerous. It's scales were as black as the night sky, the texture looked so smooth that Merlin was even tempted to reach out and touch one but as if reading his thoughts, the dragon glared at him intently. Maybe he wouldn't be doing that anytime soon. Looking at the rest of the dragon, he saw that it's claws were massive and sharp enough that he put a hand to his throat at the thought of his head being sliced off. He would be avoiding those claws for sure. Next he looked at it's head. It wasn't long and thin like the fire dragons he'd seen, it was wider and it's ears flattened when Merlin took a step towards it.

"I knew I'd hit you," Merlin muttered and smiled. Arthur would be eating his own words when Merlin told him about this.

Turning to leave so he could go and tell the Prince, he heard a slight noise of the dragon moving and he looked to see that its head was now on the ground with its eyes closed. Frowning, he walked over to the dragon and knelt down beside it. "Are you okay?" Merlin asked but obviously got no response. Only when he reached forward did one of its eyes opened to warn him off. "Okay, no touching. Got it."

Merlin looked down at the rest of the dragon and saw the net that had shot out of his contraption, it had the dragon bound tightly. Feeling a sense of guilt creep over him Merlin crawled down to where its tail lay and gently began to undo the knots that held the net together. "I'm sorry. I didn't think … I just wanted to show him that I'm not just some idiot."

Whilst undoing the knots he got a small chance to feel the scales and he smiled at the smoothness of them, "You are beautiful. Did you know that?" Merlin got a little nervous as he undid the net around its claws but it made no movement to harm him. If anything it got more interested in Merlin himself. "You are unlike anything I've ever seen before. Arthur would love to see you … or capture you depending on what day it was."

Apparently the dragon had understood some of that since one moment Merlin was helping the beast, the next he was being tossed through the air and smashed against a rock. The dragon leapt across the gap and came within an inch of Merlin, its breath hot on his face as it glared at him. Merlin could only close his eyes as it opened its mouth and he hoped that death would be less painful than people claimed it would be.

Except instead of burning him to ashes, the dragon roared as loud as he possibly could and then flew into the air to vanish between the trunks of the trees. At least that's what Merlin hoped when he opened his eyes to find the dragon gone. He was alive. Why, he didn't know.

Taking his chance to escape, Merlin ran as fast as he could back to the castle, determined to tell Arthur exactly what had happened. In all of history no dragon had ever spared a human. Maybe they were wrong about other things as well? With a smile on his face he passed some of the villagers who looked at him with a confused expression and it was only when he flew through Arthur's bedroom doors that he gave himself a chance to breathe.

"Arthur! You'll never believe … what I saw …" Merlin's voice drifted off as two people sat up in the bed, one who looked extremely annoyed and the other simply embarrassed. "Gwen …"

"Have you not heard of knocking Merlin? Get out!" Arthur demanded and Merlin retreated through the door, making sure to close it. However his hand gripped the door handle as he glared at the door. He knew Arthur liked spending time with the ladies but he never thought that Gwen would be one of them. Merlin had grown up with Gwen, knew what type of men she liked, Arthur wasn't one of them.

Merlin didn't know why he was feeling … what he could only think of as angry. Just the thought of those two being in that bed, doing what they had, it made his blood boil.

"Merlin? Can you let go of the door?" Gwen's voice broke his thoughts and as his grip lightened, the door swung open to reveal the blushing woman. "Thanks. I'll see you later?" She didn't wait for an answer as she brushed past him and hurried off home.

"You can come in now." Arthur's voice sounded annoyed and Merlin came inside the room to see him now dressed with an expression of anger across his face. "Why did you think you could just come in here without knocking? I am the Prince. You may not realise that but I should have some sort of respect from you."

"I just … I wanted to tell you about the dragon I said I shot down. I went out-"

"Is that seriously all you came to tell me? About this notion that _you _took down a dragon none have ever laid eyes upon."

"Just come down to the forest! I can show you where I found it and we could search for it together."

"Search for it? I thought you'd caught it."

"Yes, I had but I let it go because-"

"For God sake Merlin, are you just making this story up to amuse yourself? You talk of a dragon that has never been seen, say you shot it from the sky and then let it go. That makes no sense. Not unless you're an idiot." Arthur grabbed a top and pulled it over his head. "Go back to being a blacksmith Merlin. Being a storyteller isn't your thing."

"I'm not making this up! I caught it! I did!" Merlin went over and grabbed Arthur by the hand as he turned to grab a jacket. The Prince instantly spun and pinned him back against the wall.

"Touch me again and I'll have you in the stocks. You will stop talking about this and get on with your job. Otherwise I will not be the only one calling you an idiot. Am I clear?"

Merlin glared at him and gave a small nod, "Crystal."

He would never be taken seriously by Arthur. Nobody in this damn village did. He was just the guy who sharpened the swords and got in the way. Not one of them would believe in the dragon he had just seen with his very eyes unless they saw it for themselves.

"Don't look at me like that. I'm just trying to help you fit in, after all, you need to do the best you can if you're not going to fight dragons with the rest of us." Arthur ruffled his hair and walked out of his chambers with a smile on his face. Obviously thinking he'd settled the matter. "See you later Merlin," he yelled back and shut the door.

Lifting his head, Merlin smirked and decided that if Arthur didn't want to believe in that dragon, let it stay that way. Merlin would keep the dragon all to himself. If he couldn't fight dragons, he'd train one.


	3. Clumsy Idiot

**Sorry for the delay on this story, I wasn't sure whether to carry it on as it didn't speak out to me whilst writing previous chapters, however I got new inspiration and know where to take the story. So here we are with another chapter.**

**I'm not sure when I'm going to start writing as Arthur's POV, or whether I will. Depends on what people want. So let me know ;)**

**Enjoy and Review if you like =) it's what keeps me going.**

* * *

A day had been and gone, no dragons had made an appearance yet which put everyone on edge. It was rare to pass a day this time of year without an attack.

The sun had set over Camelot and people retreated into their newly built homes with prayers that an attack would occur tomorrow. It's what they lived for after all. However the servants did not get to return home quite yet as they had jobs to do before bed.

Merlin got all his jobs done during the day so he could find the dragon during the night. It was known that Arthur enjoyed his sleep so he would have no trouble getting away. It would be easy.

Keeping his eyes averted, Merlin waited until Arthur had climbed into bed before going over to pick up the abandoned clothes that he would no doubt be asked to clean, it seemed when Arthur couldn't fight dragons he decided to have fun with giving Merlin more and more jobs to do. However Merlin had a secret which meant the jobs wouldn't take up any of his time unbeknown to Arthur.

"Is there anything else I can do for you _Sire_?" Merlin asked as he shoved the clothes into a bag he'd carry home.

"Since when did you start calling me Sire?" Arthur questioned and lay on his side, studying Merlin as he tied off the bag. When he got no response he frowned and watched as Merlin went over to put out the candle on the bedside table. Why Arthur couldn't do it himself, Merlin didn't know, but it was one of the many jobs Arthur had asked him to do. "Don't tell me you're still mad about me not searching for that dragon with you?"

"Of course not Sire."

"Yes, you are!" Arthur sat up and smiled, "I can see the frown lines even in the dark. Come on Merlin, it's not like you to hold grudges. I was just trying to help you. If people knew you thought you'd found that dragon they'd call you an idiot … more than they already do anyway."

"Goodnight Sire, sleep well." Merlin wanted to leave before he said something he'd regret. Arthur always seemed to bring out the worst in him and it always ended with him looking like a fool, especially since Arthur enjoyed throwing things at him when Merlin began insulting him.

Turning to leave, an arm snaked around his waist and pulled him backwards. Losing his balance, Merlin fell onto the bed which was now clear of Arthur and when his vision cleared, he found the Prince knelt at his side with a huge smile on his face. "Don't be mad at me Merlin," he reached out and before Merlin could stop him, Arthur was tickling his ribs. Another fact the Prince had somehow learnt was that Merlin was extremely ticklish.

"Stop it!" Merlin exclaimed and tried to get away, however Arthur trapped him by straddling his waist to hold him down. "Arthur, stop it!"

"Tell me you forgive me and I will," his voice managed to reach Merlin through the laughter and Merlin knew he was fighting another losing battle.

"Alright! You're forgiven! Now stop it!"

"Good," Arthur's hands seised movement on his ribs and now rested against his chest as Merlin attempted to catch his breath. "Wouldn't it have been so much easier if you'd forgiven me in the first place?" Arthur teased and Merlin glared at him playfully.

"Prat."

Expected Arthur to move, Merlin pushed himself up so he was sitting and instead of being able to get off the bed, he found himself pressed against Arthur who remained where he was. He went to tease him about it, tell Arthur that he never knew he liked straddling people, that was the plan until he felt the hands on his chest heat up through his top. It wasn't exactly like he could stop his heart from beating so quickly either and Merlin could sense the moment Arthur felt it since a faint blush covered his cheeks.

No words were said as they sat there. Each pair of blue eyes never leaving the other. Merlin didn't understand why there was a sudden change in atmosphere or why he was even feeling like he did, after all, it was _just _Arthur. There shouldn't be any reason why his body was reacting this way.

It didn't help that suddenly Arthur pushed against his chest so that he lay back on the bed, the young Prince now hovering above him with an intense look in his eyes that made Merlin's breath catch in his throat. No one had ever looked at him like that. "Arthur …" he hadn't realised he'd spoken until he saw Arthur's face harden with some form of determination and then his head was dipping closer to Merlin's.

He was going to kiss him.

Neither had to say it to know what was about to happen and Merlin tried to hide the fact that the mere thought of a kiss was making butterflies in his stomach, especially when he felt Arthur's lips brush against his. Just when he thought he would explode with anticipation, a loud bang came from outside the door and both of them moved away from one another. Arthur remained on the bed and Merlin rolled off the end, his body now pressed against the cold stone floor.

"Who's there?" Arthur demanded to know.

"My apologies Sire," a head popped round the door and it turned out to be none other than Gwen. "I dropped a tray, well more like I tripped and it fell out of my hands. I'm sorry if it woke … Merlin? What are you doing on the floor?"

"I-"

"You know Merlin, clumsy idiot that he is, fell over as he was going to leave. I'm surprised he's lasted as long as he has without getting killed by a dragon," Arthur teased and Gwen laughed lightly along with him. Both not really being amused. Merlin on the other hand felt embarrassed as well as angry. How dare Arthur say that about him. Fair enough if he didn't want Gwen knowing the true reason he was there, even Merlin didn't fully understand that, but he could have at least said Merlin was looking for something.

Getting to his feet, Merlin walked over and grabbed the bag of clothes he'd left on the table. Turning to face Arthur who sat on the bed, he gave a small bow, "My apologies for my clumsiness. I'll try to work on it. Goodnight _Sire._" Merlin didn't bother to wait for a response or meet the Prince's gaze, instead he left. After all, he had a dragon to find.

* * *

"Come out, come out, wherever you are." Merlin followed yet another trail of broken twigs and turned dirt at the hope of finding the dragon. He'd been searching for hours and he was beginning to believe it had flown off back to its home. "I've got yummy food for you if you come out."

He couldn't help but drift off and think about what had happened between him and the Prince. Never had things felt that way between them and yet he hadn't been disgusted at the thought of being kissed by Arthur. If anything, he'd wanted it more than he'd wanted anything before. Merlin's hand drifted to his lips as he remembered how soft Arthur's had been, even from a mere brush he'd known that a kiss from him would have been amazing and unforgettable.

If only Gwen had come a few seconds later.

What broke his thoughts wasn't the sound of the dragon growling or even his feet tripping up on something. Instead the ground beneath his feet no longer existed and Merlin only had a second to realise what was happening before he fell towards the ground. Turning in the air, Merlin reached out to grab the cliff edge in an attempt to stop the fall, instead he brought back blood covered hands that had been scraped against the rocks.

Just when he thought that nothing could prevent his death, a black blur went across the ground and Merlin ended up falling onto a soft surface that sunk a little upon impact. As he lifted his head, Merlin instantly recognised the smooth scales he lay on and smiled. His dragon. He'd found it at last.

"Thank you," Merlin said quietly and slowly slid off the dragon. When his feet touched the ground, the beast leapt away from him and crouched on a boulder that was nearby. Clearly not fully trusting the human before it. However Merlin was concerned that it wasn't flying away. If it was really that nervous or anxious, surely it could fly off and find somewhere safe to hide out in. "I've brought you food."

Looking around the land around him, Merlin spotted his bag that had fallen off during the floor and quickly walked over to it. Which obviously ended up in him tripping over an abandoned log and Merlin fell face first into some mud. _Typical, _he thought. Just when he wanted to show the world he wasn't a clumsy idiot, he fell over because of a tiny twig.

"Idiot," he muttered and pushed himself off the ground so that he was sat. However he wasn't alone anymore. The dragon had somehow managed to end up beside him without making a sound and now sat there, mud covering its own face as if it too had fallen. Merlin smiled at the thought and then raised an eyebrow as the dragon attempted to copy him. It's toothless mouth going up at the sides as it tried to smile. "Aren't you a clever little thing."

Slowly reaching out, Merlin put his hand to the dragon's neck and gently caressed his palm against one of the many scales. "I bet you're even smarter than I am," Merlin muttered and sighed. Yes, he'd found the dragon. Yes, he could start to train it up. Yet what could that do for him? He could show Arthur and the town that he had been right, that he could take down the dragon, but then what? They would want to keep the dragon for themselves.

Merlin felt oddly protective about the dragon already and that wasn't a good sign.

* * *

"Are you okay? You've seemed rather distracted lately," Will commented as Merlin sharpened yet another sword for the raging battle outside.

Unknown to his friends, Merlin had spent the past week going to see the dragon at night, even without the intention of training it. He brought it food everyday, talked to it and soon began to notice some habits it had as the time went on. Often enough Merlin was found off in his own world as he thought about the dragon and Gaius had started to comment that he was off with the fairies. If such things existed that is.

"I'm fine," Merlin muttered and threw the sword at one of the fighters who'd come to collect another weapon. It was only then that Merlin spotted Arthur battling yet another fire dragon that seemed to be cornering the Prince as his fellow fighters were distracted. "Look after things here for a second would you."

"Why-"

Will's voice was lost to him as Merlin dropped a sword that he'd picked up unconsciously to sharpen and leapt across the counter where people waited on the other side. Running as fast as he could without falling, Merlin ducked and dodged dragons like they were tiny obstacles that wouldn't pose any threat to him.

He didn't want to admit it but he'd miss the Prince if anything should happen to him. Even after they'd spent the past week acting like nothing more than their statues. Not a single word of banter had passed between them and Merlin sometimes wished that incident a week ago hadn't happened. Especially if this was the outcome.

Without thinking about what he was doing, Merlin leapt onto the dragon's back and wrapped his arms around it's neck, pulling back with all his weight so it's attention went away from the Prince. As the dragon attempted to buck him off, he looked at the ground to see Arthur staring up at him in shock, his feet not taking him to safety like Merlin had hoped. "Get moving you prat!"

"What are you doing?" Arthur exclaimed and picked up his sword that had been knocked out of his hand in the midst of the battle.

"Saving your royal ass." Merlin suddenly felt a shift in the dragon's body beneath him and a gasp left his lips as it soared into the air, leaving Camelot below where his people now looked like tiny ants. He held onto the dragon for dear life as it ascended, where it thought it was going to take Merlin was beyond him, all he knew was that if he fell now, there was no way he would survive it.


	4. Above The Clouds

**So we left off with Merlin flying off on a dragon :S Not exactly what he had planned when he jumped on it's back. Lets find out what happened =)**

**Have a bit of Arthur's POV in here too. Finally.**

**R&R if you enjoy!**

* * *

The people of Camelot looked up towards the sky as they heard a yell coming from one of the dragons. Never had one taken an actual person before and the fact they had taken someone who had never fought a dragon, that wasn't good at all. Even the other dragons looked up to see what the commotion was about.

Without warning the swarm of dragons took off in chase of their friend who had an enemy on their back. None of the people down below could help for they didn't have the technology to reach such heights. All they could do was watch and wait.

Wait to see if they'd ever see Merlin again.

"This isn't good. Stupid idea Merlin. Very stupid."

He was muttering to himself as the dragon took him higher. Merlin didn't have to look back to know the others were following, he could hear the wings beating against the wind as they tried to pick up speed, no doubt intending to finish Merlin off for even daring to touch a dragon. As they broke through the clouds, Merlin held on tighter as he felt his breathing becoming sharper and more quickly. The lack of oxygen at this height beginning to get to him. It wouldn't be long until he was knocked unconscious.

Glancing over his shoulder, he watched the other dragons break the surface of the ocean of clouds and his heart stopped dead in his chest. When they attacked, he never realised how many actually did because they were all over the place. However, _all _of them were now after him and he knew he was dead. There was no debate about it. He had no chance of beating them all.

Now he had a choice. Should he die by being eaten by a dragon or falling to his death? He didn't like the sound of either of those options to be honest. Each sounded equally as painful. Except he didn't have to make that decision. A black shape shot towards them, at such a speed that Merlin couldn't make out what it was, and knocked into the dragon that Merlin was holding onto. The force was so great that Merlin was thrown off it's back and his body now flew through air as gravity began to take it's hold.

It wasn't long before he fell through the clouds and was greeted by heavy pouring rain that hid how far from the ground he actually was. His arms reached out to the sides and his legs flailed about, he didn't even bother to keep his eyes open. Let death hit him by surprise. That way he didn't have to watch as the ground came to meet him.

Merlin thought this was a rather amusing way to go for someone like him. He'd always thought he'd turn into one of those old people who told the stories of the past to the younger generation when he was older, that was because he'd actually live past thirty and there had to be someone to tell people about the dragons. Now the one person who wasn't even allowed to train to fight dragons was dying because a dragon had flown off with him on it's back. Arthur would be laughing in his sleep no doubt.

Feeling his body turn in the air, he opened his eyes to look at the scene above where the dragons flew after him, each with determination in their eyes to take out their revenge on him. They needn't bother. He'd be dead in a matter of seconds anyway.

That's what he thought until he saw the black shape emerging from the front of the approaching dragons and he recognised who it was. It was _his _dragon. The one he'd spent seven nights talking too. The one who he'd fed and looked after even though it could have flown off at anytime. Feeling a glimpse of hope that he might survive, he lifted his hand into the air as if reaching out to it, begging it to fly faster. "Come on," he whispered and smiled as it shot past him.

Turning his body midair, Merlin braced himself for impact as his body slammed into the dragon's back and it flew down so to soften the blow. The moment Merlin had a firm hold around it's neck, the dragon shot off to the right and Merlin glanced back to see the dragons still in pursuit. When they had a goal in mind, they really didn't like to give up.

"Good boy," Merlin whispered to his dragon and held on tighter as it turned on it's side to avoid a huge rock sticking out from the ocean they now flew across. He had to say, this dragon certainly kept up to it's reputation, no wonder no one had ever seen it. As the dragons closed in on either side, his dragon suddenly flattened its wings horizontally and caused them to stop suddenly. The attacking dragons flew past them since they hadn't expected to stop so soon and Merlin held his breath as his dragon dropped down so it was closer to the water's surface.

How on earth Merlin was going to explain this to Arthur was beyond him. He couldn't tell the Prince about his dragon, Merlin doubted Arthur would believe him anyway, but there was no other way Merlin could have survived. However he didn't have time to think about that as his dragon now began to fly across the tops of the trees and towards where they'd been hiding out every night. They could survive this. Merlin knew they could. His dragon just needed-

A sound of pain came from the dragon beneath him and he spun his head to see it's tail trapped in another dragons teeth. Merlin held out his hand and yelled, _"Líesing." _The dragon's jaw opened enough so that his dragon could escape and Merlin gasped as they began to plummet towards the ground. "FLY!" Merlin yelled in desperation and the dragon beat his wings one more time before giving up, however it was enough to cross over the edge of a cliff and Merlin saw they were heading towards a lake. At least that would be softer than hitting the solid ground.

The dragon turned onto it's side as it fell through the air and Merlin took a deep breath as they smashed against the water. Each sinking from the momentum they'd entered with. Opening his eyes as he held onto the dragon, he looked back to see the other dragons flying off away from the water, obviously feeling that the fall had been great enough to kill both their enemies. Merlin released his hold on the dragon's neck and swam away, only to find that his dragon wasn't conscious anymore. Which meant it would drown without Merlin's help.

"_Ofstígan," _Merlin yelled the words in the water and felt himself shoot out the water. Landing on the ground beside the lake, he spat out the water he'd accidently swallowed whilst speaking and watched as the dragon landed beside him. Lying on his back, Merlin felt his body ache from the strain of holding onto a dragon during flight, the magic he'd just used hadn't helped as he hadn't casted a spell that large in a very long time. He could quite happily lie here for the rest of his life.

Looking over at the dragon, he saw it was looking back at him now and if he didn't know any better, he could have sworn there was gratitude in it's eyes. "We make a good team, don't we?" Merlin teased and found he didn't even have the energy to reach out and touch it. "I think you need a name though. I can't just keep calling you my dragon." Trying to keep himself conscious, he kept talking, hoping that it would be enough to stay away. "What do you think about the name … blacky?" A small sound of disapproval came from the creature. "Okay, how about … Arthur?" Merlin teased.

This time it batted its wing beside Merlin and he laughed, well attempted too before he put a hand to his chest as dizziness washed over him. "I like Kilgharrah," he whispered and waited to hear a complaint from his new friend. However none came. "Kilgharrah it is. How about Kilgh for short?" Closing his eyes to the night sky, he knew fighting sleep was pointless, his body needed to rest. "Kilgh and Merlin. Who would have thought that I would befriend a dragon."

Blackness consumed him as he fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

"I think we should send out a search party. He's been gone all night and anything could have happened to him." Arthur stood before his Father as he talked with some of the top dragon fighters around the table. He'd been planning to wait until the meeting was over but somehow he couldn't. Just the thought of Merlin dying alone somewhere made his chest ache.

"For one man? I heard what happened Arthur, there is noway anyone could survive that, let alone this Arlin-"

"Merlin."

"Right, Merlin. He did a noble thing in helping his Prince and he'll be remembered well, however I cannot waste men that are needed here. The dragons are going to attack bigger and faster than before because of what happened and I need the men to protect our island." Uther got to his feet and rested his hands against the table, "If you need a new servant I can organise getting you one."

Merlin had never been his servant. He had been someone who'd been forced to work for Arthur when he wasn't being ordered around by someone else. When Merlin looked back on his life, would he remember being happy? Arthur doubted it. Especially because of him. He'd treated the boy harshly and if he could do it over, he would do so many things differently.

"Arthur. Was that all?" Uther asked.

"Yes, my lord," he replied and bowed his head before leaving the room. If his Father wasn't going to help him, Arthur would round up his own men if he had too, Merlin would be found. He'd risked his life to save Arthur, jumped onto that dragon like it was nothing and now was probably scared out of his mind. Poor defenseless Merlin.

"What did he say?" Will asked from where he stood. He'd introduced himself when Merlin had first been taken, telling Arthur that Merlin was his best friend and that he wanted to help in any attempt to get him back. For some reason Arthur had felt a little serge of jealousy at the thought of those two spending time together but that had been quickly replaced with worry for Merlin.

"He won't help us. If we want to find Merlin, we have to do it ourselves."

Thirty minutes later Arthur was in his chambers and packing a bag with some provisions in, Will was back at his place doing the same. He'd managed to convince Lancelot and Gwaine to come with him. He didn't want to take too many men, otherwise his Father would get suspicious, especially if he came looking for them.

He knew what he was doing was reckless. That he could get himself killed. Except ever since that night, when he'd had Merlin beneath him, he hadn't been able to get him out of his head. He had wanted to ask Merlin what it had meant, why he hadn't pushed Arthur away, if he was feeling what Arthur had been feeling. Maybe now he would never know. Just because he'd been too scared to ask. Never again he'd see that goofy smile that lit up the room.

Arthur owed Merlin his life and for that Arthur would find him.


	5. Bed Rest

**Thank you to Ichigo kisses, sam, merlingirl, sesshouluver, Word-Stringer and Su for reviewing my latest chapter. I LOVE getting reviews and it is honestly what keeps me writing. I don't normally ask people to review as it is their choice but I'll love you all if you review =) It's like getting presents via email.**

**Enjoy and R&R =]**

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The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was two golden eyes staring back at him. It took him a moment to realise that it was the dragon he now stared at and that it was no longer dark. Had he been here all night? Nothing moved around him, the lake remained still and the trees didn't blow in the wind as the cliffs protected them. Not even the sun could enter the confinements since it was so secluded. It wouldn't take much for something to stumble in here and never be seen again.

As he pushed himself up so he was sitting, he ran his fingers through his hair and frowned. He knew that he was but a mere blacksmith, that he could be replaced, but was there not one person who wanted to find out if he survived? Not even Will who he had thought was his closest friend?

Not even Arthur had come for him.

"I guess you're my only friend now," Merlin muttered and reached over to stroke the dragon's neck who happily lay at his side once he had seen Merlin awake. Looking back up at the sky he saw the clouds slowly drifting over them, he couldn't believed he'd gone so high that he'd been above them, such a feet seemed impossible now.

The memories from last night surfaced and Merlin shuddered at the thought of how he'd fallen, supposedly to his death. Not that anyone would have noticed apparently. However his kind treatment to the creature lying beside him had paid off, he'd been rescued, it was only because of Kilgh that he was able to be here now. Suddenly he remembered why they'd ended up here and he turned to look at the dragon's tail. Half of the end had been bitten off.

"I'm so sorry," he said and turned so he was on his knees. Pressing his hands gently above the wound, he inspected it more closely to see that no harm had come to the rest of the tail, however the injury would mean Kilgh would find it almost impossible to fly. "This is all my fault." Actually, thinking about it, Arthur was to blame. He was the one who'd almost gotten killed by that other dragon, he should be the one sitting here, freezing to death.

"Maybe I should stay here with you. Let them think me dead, serves them right." Merlin had never been a bitter person. No matter what the people around him did, he never judged or held a grudge, he just accepted what happened and moved on. How could he do that after learning that his life had been meaningless?

He was about to say something to Kilgh when his head jolted up and Merlin noticed that Kilgh's pupils thinned. "What is it boy?" Merlin asked and looked around to see if he could spot the problem that had caught the dragon's attention. "Nothings here Kilgh. Just you and me." He gently placed a hand on one of his scales and in response the dragon snapped at Merlin's fingers, anger flaring in his eyes at the thought of a human touching him. "Woah, I didn't mean any harm."

Shuffling away from Kilgh to show he meant no ill harm, Merlin got to his feet and held out his hands so not to panic the dragon. Only when his own ears heard a sound did his attention stray from the creature and he looked up towards the cliff edges, seeing nothing but trees. He unconsciously held his breath as he waited for any confirmation that he'd actually heard something. The dragon was on full alert still and looked in the same direction as he did. Something had to be up there. It was no coincidence that they were both hearing things.

A louder sound broke the silence and Merlin knew it was the sound of someone yelling, what they were yelling though he wasn't sure. His eyes darted to the dragon and then back to the cliff. If whoever it was came here, they'd find Kilgh and no doubt take him. Without the ability to fly, Kilgh stood no chance of escaping. Trying to think what to do, his eyes took in everything around them and saw that unless he physically climbed out, there was no way he'd get up on that ledge without the dragon.

At least that's what a normal person would have to think. Merlin on the other hand had some magic on his side. Running over to the dragon, he cupped his face and smiled, "Everything will be okay. I'll come back. Stay hidden until I return." Patting his nose, Merlin ran over to the side of the cliff and looked up to see how high he had to go. "Wow … looks higher from up close."

Taking a deep breath, Merlin aimed his hand down and focused on his feet. _"Áfléotan," _he said it calmly and expected to feel the magic flow through him as he cast the spell. Except nothing happened. _"Áfléotan," _Merlin repeated and waited. Still nothing. Glancing back at Kilgh, he saw the dragon's ears go flat and he knew whoever had yelled was close. _"Áfléotan!" _

Merlin shot into the air and he grabbed onto the branch of the nearest tree, clinging on as the spell ended. His entire body ached as he held on tightly. After not having anything to eat, sleeping in damp clothes and using his magic so quickly after his last spell, his body was not happy with the way it was being treated. He also doubted that if he fell now that Kilgh would catch him. The dragon was on full alert and was barely paying attention to him.

"Merlin!" The voice yelled out and Merlin's eyes widened. If he wasn't mistaken, that was Arthur. What on earth was he doing here? Using what little strength he had left, Merlin managed to climb down most of the tree before falling to the ground with a _thump_. He needed to keep moving. There wasn't many places Kilgh could hide down there and if Arthur decided to get curious, he would easily spot the dragon hidden amongst the rocks. "Merlin!" Arthur was closer this time.

_Get moving._ He thought to himself and pushed himself to his feet, a shot of pain going through the arm he'd just landed on. Trying to ignore it, he gritted his teeth and managed to move forward through the trees. He had to reach Arthur and lead him away, which was easier said then done. _Faster. _Merlin was tempted to use magic to pick up the speed, except he knew that another spell would be a step too far and he was weak enough as it was. _A little further._

"We've been searching all night Sire, maybe we should head back and come back tomorrow after we've rested. Merlin's a sensible boy, he can look after himself." Another voice spoke now and Merlin guessed that Arthur wasn't alone. As he rounded a tree he spotted the men stood together, each with a firm expression on their faces and Arthur stood off to the side as he looked out through the trees. Completely in the wrong direction to where Merlin stood.

Leaning against the tree, Merlin held his painful arm and felt his breathing become harder. The events of last night quickly catching up to him. "Arthur," he had meant to yell it but it came out as nothing more than a whisper. "Arthur!" Merlin attempted again and smiled as Arthur turned. That smile soon dropped when he turned to face his friends.

"You're right. We're no good to Merlin in this state. He might even be back already," Arthur commented and took the lead as the group headed back to the castle.

Merlin stepped forward to follow and fell face down onto the floor in his attempt, his typical luck occurring as his boot caught on the root of a tree. Using his good arm, Merlin pushed his body up a little and glared down at the mud. _Come on. You're better than this. Get up, he's just there. Get up! _Except his body wasn't having any of it. He was too tired and worn out from everything.

Feeling himself give up, he let his head fall back onto the ground and he watched through the bush he was now hidden behind as the boots faded into the distance. They were gone.

* * *

"He'll be okay," Will spoke up and patted Arthur on the shoulder comfortingly. "You might not believe it but Merlin's a tough lad. He's been through a lot and knows how to take care of himself. Have a little faith." Arthur nodded and walked more quickly so he was out of reach. He didn't really want any comfort.

Truth be told, the words hurt more than they did comfort. He knew so little about Merlin, about his life and how he ended up living alone. Where were his parents? How did he end up becoming a blacksmith? Did he enjoy what he did? What did he want to do when he was older? Arthur wanted to ask so many questions. He wanted the chance to get to know Merlin better and now he would never get that chance.

"Knowing Merlin, he's probably back home and boasting to everyone how he saved the Prince." Will claimed and a murmur of agreement came from the other two. Both of which didn't really know Merlin either. Did anyone truly know Merlin? Will had told them that Merlin was his best friend as they had ventured out that night, except every story he told was vague and he mainly talked about himself with Merlin on the sidelines. "Especially if he gets a reward for it."

"Merlin doesn't seem the type who'd want a reward," Arthur commented. Will fell quiet and Arthur sighed in relief, finally, some peace.

_Come back._

Arthur's feet came to a stop and he turned to see if the men had spoken, apparently not since all of them looked at him with confusion. Holding up his hand for silence, he listened for the sound again, knowing that it hadn't been him hearing things.

_Come back._

There it was again. Running back in the direction they'd just come from, Arthur pushed back low branches and ignored the bushes he now ruined as his legs ran through them. When he reached a certain point, a nagging feeling came over him and he stopped. Looking around to see where he was. Arthur recognised the open ground where he'd been standing a few minutes before, except now he was a few yards away and surrounded by even more trees.

_Arthur._

For some reason the voice made him look down and he was greeted with the sight of Merlin staring up at him with his bright blue eyes. Pain written across his face as he lay there. Breathing a sigh of relief that they'd found him, Arthur fell to his knees and cupped the boy's face. "Are you okay?" Arthur asked and waited for Merlin to respond, except his lips didn't move. He just stared back with shock filled eyes. "Merlin, are you hurt? Tell me."

_You came._

It was the voice again and Arthur frowned, Merlin hadn't spoken out loud and yet it had sounded just like him. Well, apart from the weakness of the voice. Trying not to think about it, Arthur looked back over his shoulder to see the other three men come into view. "Get over here! I found him!" A look of relief washed over Will's face and he was the first to arrive at Merlin's side.

"I thought we'd lost you mate," he grasped Merlin's hand and a small smile crossed Merlin's face. That one move made anger boil inside of Arthur. He was the one who'd found him, heard him calling, why hadn't Merlin smiled at him? "How are you feeling?" Will asked.

"I already tried-"

"Like hell," Merlin muttered and Arthur had to stop himself from lashing out at the fact Merlin was even responding to Will.

"I couldn't believe it when people told me it was you who'd flown off on that dragon. What were you thinking? You could have been killed."

"Can't get rid of me that easily." Suddenly a cough came over him and Arthur felt his stomach turn when he saw blood drip from the corner of his lips. Did he have internal injuries? Of course he did. The only way he could have escaped that dragon was if he'd fallen off and landed on the ground. Merlin was bound to be injured.

"We should get him back so the physician can look him over. Gwaine, Lancelot, help him would you?"

* * *

Arthur pushed away from the poll he was leaning against as the physician came out of Merlin's house with a bag hanging over his shoulder. "How is he?" Arthur asked and the smile that had been on the physician's face dropped instantly.

"He is fine, Sire. I've suggested three days rest and that he remains in bed. He said Will could bring him food and help him with things around the house."

"I'll do it."

"Sire, you have better things to do than-"

"I said I'll do it. It's my fault he's like this and I owe him my life, don't tell Will about his condition, I'll look after him. Am I clear?" Arthur looked at him with authority in his eyes.

"Yes, Sire." The physician bowed his head and hurried off back home, eager to leave the gaze of the Prince. Arthur on the other hand stared at the door he'd never thought he'd enter. Merlin was rarely seen with anyone and Arthur had heard whispers that no one had ever been seen in his home. Not unless it was necessary. Well, he'd just have to change that.

Pushing open the door without knocking, he walked up the stairs and straight over to where Merlin was curled up in bed. He didn't even acknowledge that Arthur was in the room and it wasn't like he had been subtle in his arrival. The door slamming would have been the first clue. "First you ignore me back at the forest and now you're doing it again? It's almost like I wasn't the one who saved your life."

"Go away Arthur. You may be the Prince but that doesn't give you the right to barge in here like you own the place," Merlin replied and kept his back turned.

"I can do whatever I want," Arthur stated and walked right up to the bed. "You shouldn't be talking like that to your Prince."

Merlin now turned to look up at him in anger as he held the sheets around himself, "Then how about you leave and then we don't have to talk at all? I mean, that's what we've been doing for the past week, working in silence. You should be happy that I don't want-"

"Don't want what? To talk to me?" Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he watched as Merlin tensed and avoided meeting his gaze. "Fine. We don't have to talk. There's something else that we could be doing," his head dipped down so that their lips were but a mere inch apart. "It doesn't involve any talking."

A hand shot out and pushed against his chest, "I don't know what you're playing at but whatever it is, stop it. I'm on strict bed rest."

"He didn't specify what you do in bed."

"Are you deaf or something? I'm going to rest. Now leave before I make you leave," Merlin threatened and Arthur couldn't help but laugh under his breath. He could never imagine Merlin being any kind of threat. "I'm warning you. Prince or not, I can still kick your ass."

"Just like you kicked that dragon's ass? Tell me, how did you manage to escape?"

"Magic."

"Very funny. No, really, how'd you do it?" Arthur asked.

"You know what Arthur, I want you out of my house, now." Suddenly Merlin was pushing Arthur from the bed with his good arm and getting to his feet, forcing Arthur to back up and down the stairs. "You treat me like an idiot. Like a servant. I am nothing to you and I get that now. You may have found me this morning Pendragon but it was because of you I was there in the first place. After that night … you ignored me and pretended it didn't happen. So you know what, no, you don't get to ask questions and say things that you shouldn't."

Arthur lost his balance a little as he was thrown out the door and was shocked that Merlin had found the strength to even get out of bed after what he'd been through. "Wait Merlin, you're overreacting."

"You've got it all wrong Arthur. This has been due to be done for a while now. I quit," and with that the door shut in his face.


	6. Training

**Thanks for the reviews again =] In answer to one; no, magic isn't normal to these people. Merlin's just special that way.**

**Enjoy and R&R pleaseeeeeeee *cute eyes***

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"I wanted to thank you personally for saving my Son that night, I hear you're due to make a full recovery?" Uther asked and all eyes turned to Merlin who was stood in the middle of the hall. Never had he been so nervous compared to now. He'd rather face all those dragons then the King.

"Yes Sire, my arm will be healed in a few days."

"Good … that's good."

Glancing to his side, Merlin saw Arthur staring at him and felt a small blush come to his cheeks. Ever since he'd basically thrown Arthur from his home, he'd become the talk of the town, people said that only someone like Merlin could get away with something like that. He tried not to think about it. Especially since the moment he had shut the door on Arthur's face he'd fallen to his knees and hot tears had run down his cheeks, the relief of being home too overwhelming.

"Is there anything you wish for boy?" When Merlin frowned in confusion, the King got to his feet and almost smiled at him. "A reward of some kind for your actions."

"I wish for nothing Sire, I was doing what anyone would have if they'd seen the Prince in danger." Of course, most of them would be clever enough to get the reward. Except Merlin didn't want any reminders of Arthur lingering in his home.

"Then I shall ask that you attend training to fight off the dragon's with the rest of our people," the King announced and it wasn't just Merlin who tensed up this time. "You clearly have an instinct for it and although your body isn't built for fighting, we could use more people to fight off the smaller, faster dragons. I hear that you're a blacksmith too?"

"Yes Sire."

"You won't have any trouble getting weapons then will you," it wasn't a question. More a statement. "I leave with some of my strongest men tomorrow in search of the dragon's nest, when I return I'll be getting a full report on how you're doing and if I'm not satisfied, I'll let you get back to your normal lifestyle."

"I'll save you the trouble Sire, I do not wish to fight dragons." A loud gasp came from the crowd and Merlin tried to ignore the glare coming from Arthur's direction. Never had anyone refused to attend dragon training, especially when ordered by the King. However Merlin wasn't about to start fighting creatures that reminded him so much of Kilgh. Not all dragons meant harm to the people of Camelot. "If that is all Sire, I must get back to bed, I'm still strictly speaking meant to be on bed rest."

Bowing his head in respect, Merlin walked backwards a few steps before turning, trying to walk as quickly as possible. The King wouldn't ask him again and if he did, Merlin would simply say he wanted his reward to be that he didn't have to do it. There was no way he would fight dragons. Not now. Not ever. Even as he walked down the paths to reach his home he knew his decision was final. He would defend his people happily, stop the dragons from harming them but he would never raise a weapon to harm them. The King would just have to find someone else to do the fighting for him.

"Merlin!"

Looking over his shoulder as he walked, he saw the Prince running from the top of the path, a determined look on his face as he got closer. Merlin knew that look and he definitely didn't want to be on the receiving end. Picking up the pace of his steps, it didn't take long for him to slip through his front door and locked it shut. A smile on his lips at the thought of Arthur banging against it. Not even the Prince could get through a locked door.

Leaning his forehead against the wooden door, he took a deep breath and tried to rid his mind of the Prince. He couldn't afford to think about him. Especially after what had happened. Merlin knew Arthur had been teasing him when he said they could do something else rather than talking when he was stuck in bed, that it hadn't meant anything, except the mere thought of it had sent Merlin's heart racing. It had been enough to make him snap. How dare Arthur treat him like a toy that he could play with whenever he wanted, Merlin had feelings at the end of the day and was growing tired of getting mixed signals from the Prince.

"Thinking about me Merlin?"

Merlin spun around and saw the very man he'd been thinking about standing in the middle of his house, as if he'd been there the entire time. "How did you get in here?"

"You didn't lock your window," Arthur said like it was no big deal and took a seat on Merlin's soft chair. "Why did you refuse my Father's offer? You've always complained to me about not getting the chance to train and now that you get a direct order from the King you just what, decided to turn it down for the fun of it?"

"I have my reasons. Now get out of my house. It's trespassing." Merlin turned and unlocked the door, he didn't want Arthur in his home. He wanted that damn smug Prince on another island if it was possible. However when a warm body pressed against his back he closed his eyes and had to stop himself from shuddering. How could one person effect him so much? It shouldn't be allowed or possible. Mainly because of the status difference. "What are you doing?" Since when did he voice get so quiet?

"You've been avoiding me all week and the only way I can think of to speak to you is to trap you."

"In my own home?"

"Exactly, no one would suspect that I had you in here, trapped and with no escape." Why did that idea appeal to Merlin so much? "Now tell me, why won't you go to dragon training? Is it because I train all the new recruits? Do you hate me so much that you can't even stand to be around me?"

"I don't hate you," Merlin muttered and a small laugh escaped the Prince whose lips were suddenly very close to Merlin's ear.

"If this is how you treat people you don't hate, I'd hate to be on the receiving end when you did actually hate someone," he teased and Merlin tensed as Arthur's fingertips brushed against his waist. "Answer the question Merlin. That's an order."

Merlin turned around and with his back pressed up against the door, his hand pushing against Arthur's solid chest which made little difference. "I'm not your servant Arthur, you can't just order me to answer you. Get out of my house. Get out of my life and leave me alone! I've suffered enough because of you and if you think that I revolve my life around you, think again. I'm not doing dragon training because I don't want too. Simple as. Not because you'd be there to-"

"To watch your every move?" Arthur smiled down at him and Merlin bit his lower lip as the Prince's body pressed against his own, "That every day I could watch you running around, getting out of breath as sweat drips down your body as you fight off the dragons I've sent after you … that it's because of me your body feels the way it is doing now."

"Don't you mean will be doing?" Merlin asked quietly.

"Sure. That's exactly what I meant," Arthur didn't seem focused on the conversation as his gaze dropped to Merlin's lips and Merlin tried to remember why he didn't want Arthur in his home. "Come to dragon training. Let me help you experience the adrenaline rush from defeating one … it's unlike anything you'll ever experience. Well … apart from one thing."

"You're such a prat," he muttered out loud.

"Excuse me?" Arthur pulled back a little now with a frown ruining his normal calm complexion.

"One minute you treat me like anyone else, the next you have me pinned against a door and suggesting things that we both know will get us in a lot of trouble. Last I checked, you were straight and had Gwen in your bed. What's changed since then?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Can a man not change his mind about who he wants?"

"You can't, no." Merlin pushed past him and held his damaged arm at his side as he walked out into the open of his home. "I'll come to your stupid dragon training but I want no special treatment and if I get even the smallest hint you're thinking … things, then I'll leave. Am I clear?"

A smile formed on Arthur's lips and Merlin felt like he'd just been caught in a trap, "Perfectly."

* * *

When Merlin felt up to the trip, he finally filled a basket with some fish and dressed in some warm clothes so he could go and visit his dragon. It had been too long since he'd left the beast to fend for itself and the guilt was becoming too much. Tomorrow he would be starting dragon training and it meant harming dragon's that Kilgh could be related too, not that he'd be mentioning that. If he was going to do dragon training then he knew he should find a way to give Kilgh his tail back. It would just take some time.

Making sure he blew out the candles to give off the appearance he was asleep, he slipped out the back door and ran through the forest in no time. He couldn't deny that his arm still ached but Merlin wouldn't let it stop him from doing things. It didn't take him long to reach the cliff edge where he knew his dragon lay below and he unconsciously looked around to make sure no one was there to watch him cast a spell.

"Áfléotan," the words left his lips quietly and his body slowly floated down towards the ground. Only when his feet were set on solid soil did he look around. There was no sign of his dragon. "Kilgh?" Merlin said loudly and set the basket down that had been on his back. "I brought food. Lots of fish," he tried to entice the dragon out of hiding. "I'm sorry I haven't come to visit, I've been stuck in bed, but I'm back now."

Silence followed.

"Look, please come out. It won't happen again. I'm even going to try and fix your tail so you can fly again, won't that be nice?" Walking forward towards the lake, he peered down into the dark water and saw a few fish swimming around. At least there had been some source of food for Kilgh. "Please don't be mad at me … I already have a Prince to deal with, I can't handle dealing with an upset dragon too-" suddenly two gold eyes shone in the water and Merlin only had a second to realise what he was staring at before something large broke the surface.

Falling back onto the ground, he looked up to see his dragon leaping through the air to land on a nearby patch of grass, his eyes thin as he looked at Merlin in anger. Clearly he hadn't enjoyed being left alone. "Hey Kilgh," he said quietly and pushed himself to his feet, brushing off his clothes in the process. "I am sorry that I left you. Look though," running over to the basket of food, Merlin tipped it over so the contents fell out. "Fish!"

This seemed to please Kilgh as his pupils dilated and Merlin laughed as he swallowed some of the fish whole. He certainly was hungry. Covering the distance, Merlin wrapped his arms around Kilgh's neck and held him tightly. Luckily Kilgh didn't seem to mind. "Thank you for saving me Kilgh. I owe you my life and I promise I'll find a way to get you flying again." Kilgh looked at Merlin in the corner of his eye and Merlin smiled happily in return.

_"You better."_

* * *

"Welcome to dragon training. Now, some of you are here because the King has heard your skills aren't up to scratch and some of you are new. Either way I don't expect any slacking or showing off. I expect the best outcome from every one of you and will teach what is needed to keep you alive. Before we begin, are there any questions?"

"Just one," came a low voice and Arthur looked over at Cedric. "What is he doing here? He can barely lift up an axe, how the hell is he meant to fight a dragon?" There was no need to ask who he meant.

"Merlin is here because the King ordered him to be, so unless you fancy telling the King he was wrong, I suggest you be quiet. Any other questions?" When silence followed Arthur carried on. "I'd like everyone to grab a sword and shield, any will do."

He watched as the six pupils ran over to pick up the equipment and then he smirked as Merlin walked slowly behind, not looking all to happy about being here. Arthur didn't know what it was about this boy, everything Merlin did amused him and he couldn't help but want to see more of him. Just to see what he'd do or how he'd react to something Arthur did. Ever since Arthur had pinned Merlin to the door, he had imagined what could have happened if things hadn't been said or done. Their relationship could be so different if he'd found the guts to at least kiss him.

"Sire, are you okay?"

"Yes, sorry." Walking over to one of the main doors surrounding the caged in area, he released the lock and laughed inwardly as the recruits backed up a few steps. At least the new ones did. Gwaine and Leon didn't. "I've always thought the best way of learning is on your feet. Your task is simply to get the dragon back in its cage. Go!"

Walking over to lean back against the wall, he watched the small ground dragon appear from its confinements and look around at the people circling it.

"Find its weak spots!" Arthur yelled as it went to attack one of the younger men and sighed as Gwaine took charge. He ran forward and waved his sword around like he owned the place, but sword skill wasn't everything, you had to be able to anticipate what they did too. When the dragon saw Gwaine approaching, it spat a ball of fire in his direction and his shield received a nice scorch mark. "Your out Gwaine. This dragon has six shots of fire in it, one chance each. Step aside and let the others try."

A few minutes later Leon, Gwaine, Sophie and Morgause were all out. Only Merlin and Cedric remained. Merlin was in simply because he wasn't getting involved, Cedric was still there because he was outmaneuvering the dragon which pleased Arthur, at least one person had some common sense. As the two men ran around, Arthur tried not to keep all his attention on Merlin, however that was extremely hard when he looked so adorable trying to not get hit by the dragon flying around.

"Attack! Stop running around like idiots," Arthur said loudly and Cedric nodded. Merlin on the other hand backed away from the dragon and remained behind his shield. How this man was meant to be the one who jumped onto a dragon was beyond Arthur. If he hadn't seen it with his own two eyes, he'd have never believed it. "Merlin, don't just stand there! Attack! Fight! Do something!"

However the small distraction of Arthur yelling at him made the dragon realise who the weak opponent was and with one shot got rid of Cedric as its attention turned on Merlin. His eyes widened in fear and Arthur sighed as he began to run away, why did he even bother?

"Merlin!" Gwaine's worried voice made Arthur look up from having his head in his hand and he saw Merlin pressed up against the wall, his shield just out of reach as the dragon flew in front of him.

"Get out of there!" Arthur yelled and was already running in his direction. As the dragon opened its mouth to breathe fire, Merlin covered his head and curled into a ball, hoping to lessen the damage. Arthur on the other hand grabbed the dragon by its leg and yanked it away just in time for its shot of fire to hit the wall above Merlin. Tugging the creature back to its cage, Arthur locked it up tight and then stormed back to where Merlin was being surrounded by his fellow recruits. "You are the worst fighter in the history of Camelot. Can you do nothing?"

Merlin met his gaze and gave an apologetic smile, "I'm sorry?"


	7. Desired Touch

**Thank you for the reviews again and I'm sorry for not getting this up yesterday, social life called XD**

**This is one of my shorter chapters so the end can leave you wanting more. I'm evil that way.**

**Enjoy and R&R =)**

* * *

"Come on, I know you talked. I heard you." Merlin stared straight into Kilgh's eyes and waited for him to respond, except nothing came. He hadn't imagined it when yesterday the dragon had told him he better find a way to help him. Was it possible these dragons could talk? That they were more intelligent then his people thought? "Please talk Kilgh. I'll give you some more fish if you do …" his voice trailed off as he saw Kilgh had already finished every last scrap of food he'd brought with him. "Maybe not."

Feeling frustrated, he lay back against the grass and stared up at the dark sky. It would rain soon, that much was evident, except he found he didn't care. If anything Merlin enjoyed the rain. It meant he got a night off from work and he could walk the paths of Camelot using magic without being seen. For some reason the people of Camelot hated the rain and were rarely caught out in it. It was the perfect opportunity to have some fun without worrying about the consequences.

"You know what I think sometimes? That I'm not from around here. I mean … you'd think someone from Camelot would be able to do magic. It can't be just me." Lifting his hand into the air above him, he felt the magic flowing through every inch of him like it was a part of him and sighed. "It's time like these I wish my parents were here to answer questions."

_"Your special, that's all."_

Merlin turned his head and looked at the dragon who peered down at him with interest. So he did talk. Only when he wanted to it seemed. "Well sometimes I hate being special. You think any of the people I know would talk to me again if they knew what I could do? I'd be treated like a freak … like a monster. I might as well be a bloody dragon in their eyes." Without much effort, he made a stone next to him hover in the air and go in front of Kilgh's nose. "Maybe I'm from another island and washed up on shore when I was little."

_"You don't remember?"_

He shook his head and made the stone fly into the water, "I remember nothing before the age of eight. It's almost like I didn't exist until that point …" Not that anyone knew this. Most people never commented that Merlin came out of nowhere, it made him wonder whether he had been here in those eight years and an accident had rid him of the memories. Just no one would tell him. "Have you always been able to talk?" Merlin asked quietly.

_"No. Just since I met you."_

"Lucky you," Merlin teased and wrapped his arms around Kilgh's neck as it lay down next to him. "Like me, you're special."

* * *

Merlin sat at one of the smaller tables in the main dining hall as he read a book about the different kinds of dragons. Apparently every dragon except the dragon he needed to read about had great detailed notes beside it's name. He wanted to know everything he could about Kilgh, what he ate, how he flew, why he seemed to be the only one. Yet beside his breed's name there was just a line saying, 'none who have met such a beast have lived to tell the tale.' Imagine what would happen if people knew Merlin had not only found one but had gotten it injured to the point it couldn't fly.

Sighing as he stared at the blank page, he heard a roar of laughter come from a nearby table and lifted his gaze to see Arthur sat in the center of a huge crowd. "It was pathetic. They just ran around with their swords and shields swinging around, I swear none of them should be allowed to even join. And Merlin, he was the worst of all. He didn't attempt to attack and just hid behind his shield, I had to save him in the end from being turned into ashes. He'd be dead in no time if I wasn't there to watch his back. I swear people like him should stick to doing what they're good at. Being servants!"

Another roar of laughter escaped the men and Merlin's hands turned into fists, the person Arthur mocked could take him apart with one flick of the hand, just because Merlin hadn't fought the dragon, didn't mean he should be a servant. Maybe he just had a conscience unlike the rest of them. Grabbing his book, Merlin threw his rubbish in the bin and started to make his way out of the hall. "Hey, isn't that him?" A guy yelled and Merlin looked over his shoulder to see he was the main attraction. Unlike the rest of the guys though, Arthur wasn't smiling and instead looked extremely guilty for being caught.

Slamming the door on his way out, he shivered as the cold rain drenched him and Merlin was quick to reach his home which luckily wasn't too far away. Shutting his door and putting the book on the table, he looked around to find something to take his anger out on. Nothing jumped out at him that was up to the task. "He'd be dead in no time," Merlin said in a mocking tone as he repeated Arthur's words. "Well guess who would be dead without me! You idiotic, clotpole, prat of a Prince!"

Hearing a knock at the door, Merlin hobbled over to it since his foot was now throbbing and opened it to see none other than Arthur standing there. Completely soaked. "What do you not understand about leaving me alone? Piss off!" Merlin went to slam the door in his face but a foot got in the way and Arthur easily forced the door open so he could slip inside. "Get out Arthur, I mean it, I'm in no mood to tolerate your mood swings."

"I just wanted to come and apologise-"

"Apologise for what? That you said what you did or that you got caught? Face it Arthur, you're a prat and that will never change. Go back to your castle and leave me in peace, it's bad enough I have to see you a training practice, now you keep turning up to my house uninvited. What do I have to say or do to make you realise that I don't want you in my life?" Merlin knew he was being harsh, he was just sick to death of Arthur treating him first like a servant, then almost kissing him three times and finally talking about him behind his back. If he didn't know any better, he'd say there were two Arthur's and neither were seen together.

"You don't mean that. I wasn't the only one in that bed that day or the one looking adorable when pressed up against the door, you're equally to blame for all … this!"

"This what?" Merlin questioned.

"Whatever this is going on between us," Arthur came towards him from across the room and Merlin put his hand out as he moved backwards. His feet almost tripping over themselves as he did so.

"Nothing is going on between us, Arthur. Nothing will ever go on between us. You have this idea stuck in your head that you can have anything you want, well I'm not something you can have, go find Gwen and take her back to your chambers. She's more your type." Merlin felt the back of his legs hit the table in his kitchen and Arthur was stood in front of him a second later. He had nowhere left to run. "Back off."

"If you say nothing is going on between us then why are you trying so hard to get away from me?" Arthur teased and if it wasn't for the sneeze that left his lips, Merlin would have remarked that he was a scary person to be around.

"Let me dry your clothes before you freeze to death," Merlin said and moved past him to start up the fire in the fireplace.

"I had no idea you were so eager to have me undress," Arthur teased and he ignored him. Merlin may not like Arthur's attitude and behaviour but he wasn't going to let him freeze.

"Just take off your clothes and chuck them over here, I'll find you something to wear in the meantime." Merlin got to his feet and turned away from the fire to find Arthur already undressed, not a single item of clothing covering his perfectly tanned skin. He couldn't even stop himself when his mouth fell open a little at the sight of the Prince naked. It was not what he was expecting that was for sure.

"Like what you see?"

"I've seen better," Merlin replied and grabbed a blanket that had been draped over the back of his sofa. Throwing it at the frowning Prince, he tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach and gathered up Arthur's clothes from the floor. "Sit down or something," he suggested and hung up the clothes in front of the now roaring fire. Getting back to his feet, he looked down at the clothes and whispered, "_Dreócræft_." The clothes instantly dried and Merlin would come back to them in a few minutes to claim they hadn't been as wet as he thought, at least it gave him an excuse to get the very naked Prince out of his home.

Suddenly two arms wrapped around his waist and he was pulled back against a solid form. For people who'd just been soaked through by the rain, Merlin found he was almost as hot as Arthur felt. "What are you doing?" Merlin couldn't help but ask as Arthur's fingers curled around the hem of his top.

"I wasn't the only one who got wet. You should strip too, it's only fair." Merlin moaned inwardly as the Prince now took hold of his top and pulled it swiftly over his head, his bare back now pressed against Arthur's chest. Who knew that such contact could bring up feelings you'd been denying for so long. He didn't even stop Arthur when he pressed his lips against Merlin's neck, his teeth gently nipping at his skin and working their way to one of his large ears. "Isn't this so much better then fighting?" Arthur whispered and Merlin's body tensed as he felt one of Arthur's hands slip beneath his trousers.

"Stop…" Merlin replied quietly and if it wasn't for Arthur's arm around his waist, he'd be a puddle on the floor right now. "You … shouldn't …" his eyes closed at Arthur's first touch and it took all his will power to do what he did next. "_Bebeorgan_," the word left his lips and Arthur was thrown through the air. He landed by the door in a heap and Merlin didn't dare turn around as he tried to calm himself down. He knew he would curse himself later for doing that, that when he slept he'd dream of what could have happened, for now he had to deal with the situation.

Arthur had been too close not to have heard him whisper the spell, plus the whole flying through the air couldn't be explained any other way and there was no one there with him to be responsible. Merlin had used magic in front of the Prince and now the consequences would follow. So why was it rather than panic that his secret was found out, he was more scared of how Arthur would look at him from now on?


	8. Monster

**I know this is long overdue but with exams I haven't had much inspiration or time to get a word down for all my stories. After January ends you'll be getting more regular updates.**

**Enjoy and R&R**

* * *

"Arthur wait!" Merlin called as they ran through the rain. The Prince hadn't said a word since Merlin had used magic and instead had pulled on his clothes, followed with him storming out of the door. Knowing that he couldn't leave it like this, Merlin chased after him and ignored how cold it was without a top on. "Arthur, let me explain!"

"Stop following me!"

Arthur was running faster then Merlin and due to his training, he was a lot fitter then Merlin was. So as they ran up the steep slope towards the palace, Merlin began to lag behind and he knew if he didn't reach the Prince, something bad would happen. "Wait!" Eventually they reached the palace doors and Arthur slipped inside, not before a foot was wedged in to stop the door from closing and Merlin pushed it open to see the Prince glaring at him. "Let me-"

"Explain? What is there to explain Merlin? You can do magic. Magic. Can you imagine the amount of dragons we could have defeated if you had told someone? The live stock that could have been saved? We've spent years thinking of ways to defeat the dragons and you've been able to do it all along by yourself."

"I can't-" Merlin began but Arthur kept going.

"You might as well be on the dragon's side. You're either with us or against us, and clearly your interests aren't to protect this island. Next time you decide to leap on a dragon, I suggest you don't bother coming back. You're a monster just like them." Merlin was shoved in the chest and he fell onto the ground, the sound of the large door closing the only sound you could hear over the rain. Instead of getting up to beg the Prince to listen, Merlin sat there in the rain and stared at the door.

_You're a monster._

Those three words repeated over and over in his head. What if the Prince was right? It wasn't like there was anyone around here who could do what he did and he had no idea who his parents were. What if he wasn't human but something you only heard about in legends? That mere thought pushed him to his feet and he ran back down the hill, having no intention to head home. Instead he ran to his workshop where he usually worked during the day and slammed the door behind him.

If Arthur saw him as a monster, _fine_. Merlin had a way out of here and if it meant spending the entire night creating something he wasn't sure would work, he would. So Merlin pulled on his apron to protect his chest from anything that could cause him harm, he began to sketch out Kilgh's tail and what was needed in order to fix it.

* * *

"Merlin, go left!" Gwen yelled and he rolled to his side to avoid a jet of fire heading his way. "I meant your other left!" Well if she meant right, she should have said so. Merlin grumbled and got back onto his feet, holding his shield in one hand and his sword in the other. He had come to dragon training so he could give off the appearance nothing was unusual. The Prince treated him no differently then before and neither got within talking distance unless they could help it.

"Get out of the way," Leon said loudly and Merlin only had time to throw himself forward before Leon ran across where he'd been standing with a dragon following after him. This was utterly pointless. Most of them were running around waving their swords over their heads, whilst the others tried to defeat the dragons, except the other people got in their way. Whoever thought this would help them fight dragons was an idiot.

"Everyone stop!" Arthur yelled and pushed himself away from the wall, he then proceeded to quickly force the dragons back into their cages. "At this rate no one is going to win the final challenge."

"Final challenge?" Merlin whispered quietly to Gwen who stood at his side.

"In a few weeks the eldest of our people will decide who gets to kill their very dragon in this very arena. You have to impress her and make her think you have what it takes to complete the task. Of course it will be Leon or Lance, they've killed dragons before, it's an obvious choice. Someone like you doesn't stand a chance."

"Someone like me?"

"I don't mean you specifically, I mean someone who hasn't got much experience. The dragon would kill someone with your skills within seconds if they let it loose and didn't have anyone intervene." Gwen gave him a soft smile and got back to listening to Arthur's instructions for the next task.

Merlin on the other hand frowned. It wasn't that he didn't have the skills to defeat the dragons sent against them. It was that he didn't _want_ to defeat them.

* * *

"Kilgh?" Merlin yelled and smiled when the dragon appeared from the water after taking a quick swim. It was the only thing he could do around here apart from walk around. "I've brought you some fish incase you were hungry." Spilling the contents onto the floor, he smiled as Kilgh leapt through the air to get there faster and dug his nose into the fish. If it wasn't for the growl he let out Merlin would have moved towards his tail. "What's the matter?"

_"Get it away."_

Setting down his creation, Merlin approaching the smelly pile of fish and saw a striped eel in the middle where Kilgh had revealed. Reaching down, Merlin picked it up and put it back into the basket which he set away from the other fish. "Better?" He didn't get a response, instead Kilgh dove in and began eating anything he could. "I'll take that as a yes."

Picking up what he'd set down, he slowly walked to the dragon's tail and knelt beside it. Checking to see his measurements were correct. Luckily his skill to remember things accurately came in useful and Merlin found the contraption fit. Without much effort, he clipped it on and opened it up to reveal a fan like shape that should give Kilgh the ability to fly. Pulling at it, Merlin found that it wouldn't come off easily and that if not put under too much strain, could work.

"Am I a blacksmith or am I-" Merlin began to say but suddenly found himself soaring towards the sky whilst clutching onto the dragon's tail. His eyes wide and his heart pounding fast, Merlin looked at the ground getting further and further away. "Kilgh! Take me back down!" He yelled but instead Kilgh turned on his side and Merlin gasped as the fan closed from the wind changing direction. Immediately Kilgh began to fall and he hung on for his life as the ground came up to greet them. Why did this feel awfully familiar?

Except this time they wouldn't survive the fall.

"_Windscofl butan_," Merlin yelled over the rushing wind and the spell caused the fan to spread out. He did it just in time so that Kilgh could slow them down and just about land gracefully in their 'take off' location. Still clinging onto the dragon, Merlin breathed deeply and tried to stop his head from spinning as the dragon lay down on the ground. "Next time, tell me if you're going to do that!"

* * *

"It then tore my right foot off because it was so mad!" Leon finished his story and all the recruits looked in amazement as he showed them his fake foot. "It came back for the other one but I killed him instead. Shows him who's boss eh!"

Merlin rolled his eyes and took a bite out of the chicken breast he had. He didn't even remember how he got here. One moment they'd been at dragon training, the next they were sat around a fire in the late evening talking about dragon attacks. Leon had joined them in sharing stories and started talking about his younger teenage years when he'd been out in the streets fighting dragons. Merlin had heard it all before. Gaius often told him of the injuries he had seen whilst offering out weapons.

"Good for you Leon, it's not everyday someone can say they defeated a dragon that wanted to eat them." Gwen complimented him and Merlin smirked as he saw Lancelot shift in his seat. It was obvious the guy liked her and yet he made no attempt to ask her out sometime. Surely if you liked someone you should just act on it?

As he thought this, his gaze drifted over to Arthur who was talking to Gwaine, obviously sharing battle wounds as one of them lifted up their sleeve to reveal a scar. It had been days since they last talked, Arthur didn't even bother to tell him off or give him guidance in dragon training, he just let Merlin get on with it. Each day Merlin was beginning to feel more and more like a ghost. At least this way, when he did leave, no one would notice his absence.

Seeing as nobody was paying attention to him, he left the remains of the meat he'd been nibbling on and slipped off the platform to slowly make his way down the stairs. There was no point spending time there when he could be out with Kilgh, he was making improvements to his new tail every day and soon they would be ready to test it out in the sky.

"Merlin," a voice broke his thoughts and he stopped in his tracks so he could turn and look up at Arthur who stood numerous steps above him. It seemed distance meant the Prince felt safe around Merlin. Not that he'd actually harm the Prince but the way he was being treated, it was awfully tempting.

"Can I help you Sire?"

"Aren't you going to stay for the rest of the meal? I hear Morgause made us a nice dessert to all share." Merlin raised an eyebrow at the subtle invitation to stay and crossed his arms as he leant back against one of the beams holding the platform up above them.

"I'm surprised you'd want to by anywhere near a _monster_ Sire, let alone share a meal."

"Look when I said that … I was angry, alright? You didn't give me a chance to process what I'd just learnt and all I-"

"It doesn't matter. You meant what you said, you just didn't mean to say it out loud, I get that." Both of them fell silent and Merlin looked out at Camelot below where people were turning in for the night. "You better head back, someone will notice your missing."

"You're not coming?"

"I think it's best if I leave," Merlin smiled sadly and began walking down the stairs. He tried to ignore the feel of Arthur watching him go as he got further away.

* * *

Why was it that dragon training always ended up with him lying on the ground and listening to other people yell as they tried to fight off the dragons? It was like the ground enjoyed his body pressed up against it. This was meant to be easy training as well. There was one fire dragon against all six of them. Not exactly hard to work out who should be winning.

Yet as he got to his feet and looked out at the view, he smirked. It was absolute chaos. Even Arthur was running around, telling people what to do and how to defend themselves.

Glancing back at his bag, Merlin smiled and walked slowly over to it. Making sure not to grab anyones attention as he reached inside for the eel he had brought along. It was time for an experiment. Trying not to think what it felt like, Merlin slipped it into his inner pocket of his jacket and made sure it was hidden as he approached the creature.

"Merlin, what are you doing?" Arthur yelled as he saw Merlin had left his weapon back where he'd fallen over. Holding up his shield, Merlin took a step closer to the dragon and it's body tensed as it looked in his direction.

"That's right, time to calm down and go back into your cage." Moving forward, he used his free hand to pull his jacket open a little and give the dragon a view of what he had. The creature didn't have to look twice to know what it was and was quickly shuffling away from Merlin. "Be afraid, be very afraid," Merlin whispered teasingly and felt a wave of triumph hit him as he got the dragon fully in the cage. Slipping the eel out of his pocket, he threw it in to make sure the dragon didn't decide to attack anyway and with the door now shut, he bolted it up.

Turning around, Merlin was faced with six people who stared at him in shock. Including Arthur. None of them knew how he'd done it, how he'd gotten away with no bruises and he didn't even have a weapon on him. "That's it for today right?" Merlin asked and Arthur nodded absentmindedly. "Great. I'll see you lot tomorrow then."

He grabbed his bag from the side of the arena and set the shield down, getting out of there as quickly as he could. Technically he hadn't cheated. There was nowhere that it stated he couldn't use another creature to get the dragon to back off. If anything, he was abiding by the rules by using any weapon available to defend one's self.

As he left the arena he smiled. Having a dragon as a friend came in useful and maybe he could learn a few more things off Kilgh.


	9. Choices Being Made

**Exams are over and chapters will be appearing more regularly. Thank you SO much for the reviews. The most yet ;)**

**Enjoy and please R&R**

* * *

Merlin looked down at the world below and wondered what it would be like to truly escape from Camelot. He had said that once Kilgh could fly, Merlin would head straight for the nearest island and make a new life for himself. He didn't fit in here. Yet he couldn't find the courage to leave the place he'd called home for so long. So here he was, flying on a dragon, with no destination in mind.

_"You seem so sad Merlin. What is the matter?"_

A small smile came to his lips and he bent down, rubbing Kilgh's scales on his neck. "Just thinking, that's all. It's truly amazing up here, isn't it?" Flicking his foot, Merlin changed the direction Kilgh's tail went in and the dragon turned on his side to avoid hitting a large rock. "If I had the ability to fly, I'd never land, I'd fly forever." Spreading out his arms, he imagined they were wings and it was himself flying, not the dragon.

_"Flying is like walking. If you know how to do it, there's nothing special about it."_

"At least when you fly you see things that people down below can only dream of," Merlin replied and dropped his arms, setting them at the base of Kilgh's neck. "Do you have any family?" He randomly asked and waited for a reply, when none came, Merlin sighed. "Me either. I guess we can just be each others family."

_"I'd like that."_

Rubbing Kilgh's neck again, he seemed to find a spot that he liked because suddenly they were dropping from the air and landed in a pile of grass. The dragon now rolled around from the aftershocks of his neck being touched. Merlin glanced down at his hand and smiled. It seemed everyone had a weak spot. Including dragons.

* * *

He once again found himself ducking behind another recruit as fire was shot at him and he raised his shield, waiting for this ordeal to be over. It was their last session. Weeks had now passed and whoever managed to get this dragon back in their cage, as well as impress the elder woman, got to kill their first dragon in front of everyone. Merlin simply wanted to curl into a ball. There was no way he would kill a dragon. Not after meeting Kilgh.

"Merlin, attack!" Arthur yelled from above and Merlin rolled his eyes, as if he was going to take orders from that prick. Doing the opposite of what Arthur said, he ran away from the dragon and leant back against a wall as he watched the scene play out before him. It was only a matter of time before Lancelot managed to win. Most of the other contestants were already out. Only himself, Lancelot and Gwen remained. Gwen wasn't exactly on top form today.

However when it looked like Lancelot was about to make the final move, something spiked the dragon's interest and it's attention turned to him. The distance was large between the two of them but by the way the dragon was looking at him, it didn't matter. Nothing could stop it from crossing that space. Merlin picked up his shield a second before he was pinned against the wall, the dragons breath hot on his face as it stared at him with amusement.

"You remind me of a certain prat that doesn't realise who they're dealing with," Merlin reached under the shield and after gently rubbing a few scales, he found the spot. The dragon instantly fell to the floor and rolled around, a smile on its face. Sagging against the wall, the shield was forgotten as he breathed deeply and tried to ignore the fact he'd been an inch of death. In these conditions, with everyone watching, he couldn't even have used his magic to protect himself.

"Merlin!" His vision became focused when he saw the Prince running towards him and an instant later his face was being cupped between two warm hands, big blue eyes staring at him with worry. "Are you okay? Did it hurt you?" The shock of Arthur being so attentive stopped him from answered and this worried Arthur further, his hands now dropped to his neck, a more intimate gesture as he moved closer. "Talk to me, are you okay?"

"A decision has been made!" Someone yelled from above and as Arthur turned, Merlin glanced over his shoulder to see the elder was looking at him, that couldn't be good. The recruits stepped out into the arena and Merlin went to join them, Arthur's gaze following him every step of the way. Holding his breath, he stood at the end of the line and they waited for a name to be called. He waited for someone else's name to be called. Anyone but him.

"Merlin Emrys!"

A loud gasp came from the crowd, followed by cheers and Merlin felt his heart sink. He was swarmed with the recruits, all congratulating him, asking him how he had done what he did, yet no words left his lips. All he could do was think that this was it. He couldn't stay here now. By announcing that Merlin was to kill his first dragon, that woman had exiled him and Merlin would have to find a new home. Where, he wasn't sure yet.

* * *

Shoving some clothes into a bag, he blew out the candle in his room and ran down the stairs. He couldn't hang around another moment. The other recruits had invited him out for some drinks and after not being able to give a good excuse, he had said he'd be there once he'd changed into something nicer. That gave him a few minutes before people came looking for him.

At least that's what he thought until there was a knock at the door. "Coming!" Merlin yelled and he threw open the door, only to find it wasn't one of the recruits. "Arthur?" The Prince brushed past him and entered his house, not even bothering to explain why he was here. "What do you want? I was just about to head out." Merlin kicked his bag behind the sofa when he walked over and he turned on the spot.

"I wanted to check you were okay. You were rushed out of that arena so quickly that I didn't get a chance to get an answer from you. That dragon shoved you pretty hard against the wall."

"I'm fine Arthur," he held out his arms as if presenting himself. "See for yourself." Arthur seemed to take this literally as he came forward and pressed a hand against Merlin's chest, extremely gently as he tried to see if it caused Merlin any pain. "I didn't mean actually come see for yourself. Look, I'm grateful that you came to check up on me, but I honestly have-"

"Somewhere to be. I get it," Arthur stepped aside and watched as Merlin pulled on a jacket he'd flung over the sofa sometime this week. "How have you been?" He suddenly asked and Merlin looked over his shoulder at him in question. "Well we haven't exactly talked much since …" he paused for a moment and glanced at the ground, "…you know what. Everything been okay? Gaius not working you too hard?"

"He works me the usual amount," Merlin replied and frowned a little. "What's this about Arthur? You're acting strange."

"I've just had a lot of time to think and I-"

"Don't," he said abruptly and held out his hand in front of him as if to defend himself. "Nothing you say will change anything. I really have to go. You can let yourself out yeah?" He was out the door before Arthur could tell him not to go and he ran through the darkness, heading straight for the forest.

Sometime later he was using his magic to get down the cliff edge and when his feet hit solid ground, he leant back against the nearest boulder. His heart was racing and it wasn't because he'd been running. Arthur had probably been about to say what he'd wanted to hear from the start and he'd told him not too say it. Even though Merlin would never have to face the consequences of those words, he'd still stopped him. "You really are an idiot."

When his heart had finally got back to a normal pace, he looked around to try and spot Kilgh. However the usually happy dragon wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Kilgh?" Merlin yelled and walked forward, trying to see him. However finding a black dragon when it was staring to get very dark wasn't going to be easy. "Don't make me use-"

"Who's Kilgh?"

Merlin jumped at the sound of Arthur's voice and he spun round to see the Prince stood there like it was an every day occurrence. "What are you … How did you … When did you … What are you doing here?" Merlin demanded to know and prayed Kilgh would remain hidden.

"You seemed on edge when we talked and when I saw you running into the forest rather than towards where your friends were waiting, I suspected something was going on. So tell me, who's Kilgh? Is this person someone who's been helping you train to fight against dragons? We're all dying to know how to managed to take down that dragon without even a sword in hand."

"Luck?" Merlin backed away from Arthur and saw movement in a bush near where Merlin had first been when he'd dropped down off the cliff. As expected, Arthur followed his movements and his actions took him away from the moving bush. Merlin had no idea what Kilgh would do if he saw Arthur, there was no way to know how a dragon would react to people and Merlin suspected he had only been spared because he had spared the dragon's life first.

"Come on, you can tell me. Did you use your-" Arthur waved his hand "-magic stuff?"

"Magic stuff?"

"Did you cast a spell on the dragon to defend yourself? It's alright if you did Merlin. Dragon's are scary beasts and I never really suspected you to find the courage to fight one. The fact you jumped on ones back was just instinct when you saw me in danger. You wanted to protect me."

"Oh you'd be surprised how not-scary I find dragons," Merlin replied and dived at Arthur when a black blur shot towards them. Holding him to the floor, Merlin looked back over his shoulder to see Kilgh circling a boulder and heading back towards them. "Woah! Easy!" Jumping to his feet, Merlin kept his back turned to Arthur who had shot to his feet at the same time and his eyes remained fixed with Kilgh's. "He's a friend. A good guy."

"Merlin, that's a dragon, what-"

"Shut up!" Merlin hissed and stepped backwards, forcing Arthur to do the same. "Kilgh, I wouldn't let him hurt you."

"Me hurt that? It's more likely-"

"What do you not understand about shutting up!" At the sound of Merlin getting upset, Kilgh leapt towards them and Merlin only had a second to put up a shield around Arthur before he was attacked. Kilgh bounced off the shield and crouched next to Arthur, eyeing him up. "Kilgh, look at me!"

_"He is the one who has been upsetting you?"_

"Yes, but no …" This would be so much more simpler if Arthur wasn't here to listen to half a conversation. "He's not here to harm or upset either one of us. He followed me because he thought I was acting weird. Which was none of his business I'd like to point out-" a quick glare was sent Arthur's way "-but you don't need to act this way."

_"He's going for his sword."_

Merlin looked back at Arthur to see Kilgh was right and he stormed over, grabbing the sword himself to throw into the lake next to them. "Hey!" Arthur exclaimed.

"See, no danger. You're safe. I'm safe." Merlin ignored Arthur's glares as he approached the cautious dragon and he gently cupped his face. "Take slow deep breaths and go somewhere to calm down. Please."

_"Will you be safe with him?"_

"Yes," Merlin hoped so anyway. Kilgh nodded and ran across the ground, disappearing into the shadows cast down on them. Sighing with frustration, he turned to face the Prince and found a knife held to his neck. "Okay, not exactly what I was hoping for. Might want to stop that before Kilgh comes back."

"You are on the dragon's side?"

"No of course not," Merlin said quickly and gently pushed away the knife. "Just this dragons. All the other dragons are nothing to do with me. I swear." So why did Arthur look like he didn't believe him?


	10. The Beast

"You better start explaining yourself," Arthur said as he looked around for any sign of the dragon coming back. "Why didn't that dragon attack you?"

"He's my friend," Merlin stated and a look of shock covered the young man's face that was stood opposite him. "You remember that dragon I told you about? The one I managed to hit? Well it was him that I hit. I went and found him, discovered I had hurt him and decided that instead of taking him back to Camelot, I'd help him."

"You do realise you sound insane right? A dragon wouldn't just let you help it."

"This one did. I brought him food, worked on his tail and now he can fly again. It was because of him I survived when I jumped on that dragons back. He rescued me."

"Like I'm going to believe that."

"Then how do you explain how much I know about dragons? I know their weaknesses, soft spots, how to relax them so they don't attack. Being friends with a dragon has its advantages." Merlin walked over to a nearby boulder and climbed the side so he could sit on the top, watching over the ground below incase Kilgh decided to attack again.

"I still think you used your magic," Arthur commented and put his knife back into his boot.

"Well I don't care what you think," Merlin muttered and crossed his arms. He didn't want Arthur to be here. This was a place where Merlin could come to be himself without worrying about anyone seeing him, even if Arthur knew about his magic, it didn't mean that Merlin didn't want the privacy. "Now you know my secret, can you leave?"

"Tell me something, Merlin. What was going to be your excuse this time when your friends asked you where you were? This party is being held for you, everyone will notice you're not there and there are very few reasons why you wouldn't be there. You're not ill or dying, so that rules them out. Apart from that, you have nothing." There was a brief hesitation and then it dawned on Arthur, "You weren't coming back … were you?"

"What if I wasn't? The only reason any of them are paying attention to me is because I won that stupid thing that I didn't even want to do to begin with. I have no family back there. No friends. What's the point in staying somewhere where I can't even be myself?"

"What about Gaius-"

"He has Will. They'll be fine. He simply took pity on me and took me in so I had someone to look after me whilst growing up. Well, I'm all grown up now. Time to leave the nest and find a life for myself."

"You can't just leave Merlin. This island isn't very big and there's only so far you can run before you hit water."

"There are ways to get off this island," Merlin replied and got to his feet. Waving his hand in the air, it was a signal for the dragon to emerge from his hiding place and shoot over to stand by the base of the boulder. Arthur took a step towards them, as if to stop Merlin from leaving, however one glare from the dragon stopped him in his tracks.

"Just take a minute to think about this. You have no idea what's out there."

"Anywhere is better then here," he stated and leapt onto Kilgh's back. His hands gripped onto the scales at the dragon's neck and Kilgh turned away from Arthur, getting ready to fly into the air. There was but a mere second between the moment when Arthur leapt onto the dragon's back behind Merlin and when Kilgh took off.

As the dragon went higher, Arthur's grip tightened around Merlin's waist and the warlock smiled at the thought of something actually making the Prince scared. There wasn't much that could. It was only when Kilgh leveled out that Arthur lifted his head from Merlin's back and looked at the sight around them. They were above the clouds now and the moon was larger then either of them had ever seen it.

"You shouldn't have done that," Merlin said to Arthur as they fell into a comfortable silence.

"Didn't give me much of a choice. Unlike you, I can't use magic to stop you from flying off. The most I could do is order you to come back and we both now how much you dislike orders." Arthur replied and looked down at the clouds below them. "This is … amazing."

Merlin looked down at the dragon who he didn't have to see to know that he was smiling to himself. It was only because of Kilgh that they had the ability to do this. "There's nothing quite like flying through the air and knowing if you fell, you'd die." Merlin teased and got a playful punch on his thigh as Arthur loosened his arm from around his waist.

"You know what I mean," Arthur said and rested his chin on Merlin's shoulder. "I wonder how many people have done this."

"I'm taking a guess that only two people have," Merlin commented and dipped his foot so the dragon's tail changed. Kilgh dropped through the clouds slowly and gracefully so they were closer to the water below. "You're not going to tell your Father about this are you? When he gets back I mean."

"If I did, I'd have to explain why I didn't kill you both on the spot."

"And why didn't you?" Merlin asked.

Arthur fell silent and turned his head to the side, resting his cheek against Merlin's shoulder now. "I have no chance against someone with magic," he lied. They both knew Merlin could never truly hurt Arthur and that the reason why he wouldn't tell his Father wasn't because of Merlin's magic. It was because he'd have to explain why he had been chasing someone like Merlin in the first place.

"Well … thanks, for not telling." Merlin felt butterflies appear in his stomach as Arthur's lips brushed against his neck in an affectionate manner, however that was ended when out of the blue, Kilgh dropped them through the air and both boys sat up straight in shock. "Kilgh, what's going on? Why have you-"

"Be quiet. They are here."

He felt his body tense as a cold mist began to surround them as Kilgh attempted to hide them and it was only when he saw something in the corner of his eye that he realised what Kilgh meant. Turning his head sideways, he saw around a dozen dragons appear out of the mist. Looking the opposite way, even more surrounded them. Arthur's arms held him tighter and he knew that there must be more behind them. "Crouch down," he whispered quietly to Arthur and they both bent forward so they weren't so obvious.

Kilgh flew calmly amongst his kind and Merlin knew they had no option but to keep going. If they broke off now, it would rouse suspicion. Glancing sideways, he saw every dragon carrying live stock and many looked nervous. How he knew that's what they felt by a certain look, he didn't know. Merlin was no expert by any means.

Just when he thought they were safe, all the dragons dove into a hole in an upcoming cave and Merlin felt the hot air engulf them as they entered the same hole. Each dragon flew to the center to drop their live stock into a place where Merlin couldn't quite see and instead of following, Kilgh took them up to a high, secluded ledge. Both of the boys slid off the dragon and lay on the ground as they peered over the edge. Trying to see what was going on.

"Where do you think we are?" Arthur asked quietly.

"I believe this is what your Father is looking for," Merlin replied as he watched the final dragon fly into the cave to drop the final sacrifice inside the hole. Compared to what every other dragon had brought, that serving had been nothing. Apparently whatever was down in the hole agreed as a loud roar sounded through the cave and Merlin covered his ears.

The walls began to shake as something moved below and Merlin's heart stopped dead in his chest when a huge monster emerged from the hot steam covering the surface of the hole. The beast was so large that Merlin doubted he could ever imagine something that size and the dragon it now consumed was barely the size of one of its teeth. He shuffled backwards without thinking and his hand accidently cut against a rock from the movement.

As he stared down at the bleeding cut, he realised that he was being watched and as he turned his head, he met the eyes of a fire dragon that had scented the blood. "We need to go, now!" Merlin said to Arthur and they leapt onto Kilgh's back as more dragons noticed them. The dragon didn't need to be told to take off and they were quickly heading towards the exit, the large beast below bellowing in frustration and the smaller dragons now racing them to the exit in fear of the beast taking out it's wrath on them.

"Faster!" Merlin yelled as a shot of fire began to chase them and Kilgh picked up speed, now far ahead of the other dragons as they were consumed by the fire. As they broke through the clouds, Merlin felt the breath leave his body and his eyes went wide as the anger of the beast filled him. It was like he was the dragon and every cell in his body felt like it was expanding, pushing out against his skin as the sound went through his mind.

"Merlin? Are you okay? Merlin?"

The warlock's eyes turned golden and suddenly he was back in the cave, looking out through the hole in the direction of where they'd been flying. It had their scent now. You came into my home and dare think you can escape? Pray that I do not find you, young warlock. For it would be your last moments alive. The thoughts belonged to the dragon and suddenly Merlin was back in his body, two large hands holding him upright on the dragon they were currently flying.

"Merlin, what happened? Talk to me!"

He said nothing as they dropped down to the ground, Merlin didn't even realise how close to the village they were and that Kilgh hadn't thought to go back to their usual resting place. Merlin was half dragged off the dragon as he threw his legs over the side and it was only when his feet hit solid ground that his knees gave away beneath him. Arthur however had expected it and caught him, falling to his knees to soften the fall.

"What is wrong Merlin?" Kilgh asked.

"Damn it Merlin, what's going on? Are you hurt?" Arthur cupped his face as he tried to get an answer from him and Merlin shook his head, knowing this was just the after affects of the spell he unintentionally cast to enter the beasts mind. Why his body had decided that that had been a good idea, he didn't know. "Lets get you home."

Arthur picked Merlin up with ease and was about to walk away when Kilgh moved in front of him, his mouth parted to show it's sharp teeth in a threatening manner. "You're not going anywhere with him," Merlin heard the dragon say and Arthur simply stood there, having no idea what had been said. Merlin frowned at the idea that only he could understand the dragon speaking and then shoved Arthur away so he could get to his feet.

Taking a step forward, he knelt on the ground and cupped the dragons head. "I'll come see you tomorrow. Go back to the usual place to rest. He won't hurt me." Kilgh didn't need much convincing after that and soon Merlin was left alone with Arthur. "You really think you could carry me all the way home?" He asked with a teasing manner.

"I'm not a weakling like you. Carrying you home would be easy."

"That's good …" Merlin managed to get out before he fell unconscious. The events of the day catching up to him.


	11. My People

_The sound of knocking woke him from his slumber and his blue eyes parted to see two people running into the room. There was a man who was almost as tall as the door frame, his dark brown eyes stared at him in determination as he scooped him up into his arms and Merlin realised he was a small boy. What age, he wasn't sure. The woman on the other hand was gathering some of his belongings, her eyes filled with concern and panic. "Hunith, hurry up!" The strange man holding him said firmly._

"_Done, lets go." Merlin held onto the man with his arms around his neck as he was carried downstairs and they suddenly came to a halt when Hunith attempted to open the door. It wouldn't budge. "They've locked us in!" She began running around the house to check the windows and found them all boarded up. They were trapped. _

"_There has to be a way out," the man said and set Merlin on the floor who sleepily rubbed his eyes._

_Both of the strangers ran around the home they were in and Merlin suddenly felt the danger they were in. The air around him thickened and black smoke began to appear through the gaps in the door. Stepping away instinctively, Merlin clutched the top over his heart and tried not to panic. Except his breathing was becoming deep and fast, his eyes darted around and he let out a small yell as Hunith pulled him into the middle of the room. _

"_Can you summon the dragons for help?" _

"_We don't have that much time. They've already-" his words were cut off when flames began to consume the door and Merlin clutched onto Hunith's leg. _

"_There's a child in here! Have mercy!" Hunith yelled at the people outside._

"_You will burn and the magic will be gone from my island," a firm voice replied and the flames began to surround them completely. _

"_Save him!" Hunith demanded to the man who was obviously her partner as she knelt on the ground to hold onto Merlin. "Get him out of here!"_

"_I only have enough magic to save one of us," the man replied._

"_Him. He's our Son, he hasn't yet lived and he's ours to protect. Send him away. Please."_

"_Okay," he knelt down in front of Merlin and cupped his cheeks in his palms. "You be a good boy okay? There will be people who hate you, despise what you are but never forget that we love you. You are our everything. Live, for us."_

"_Don't leave me," Merlin pleaded quietly._

"_You will find someone," Hunith said behind him and kissed the back of his head. "You won't always be alone. Trust your instincts and do what you must to survive." The air suddenly began to get darker and Merlin coughed as smoke entered his lungs. "Do it now!"_

_Merlin was surrounded in two pairs of arms and a word was whispered in his ear, that was when the world spun. The fire surrounding him, the people who he knew he loved with all his heart, his home, now gone. Replaced with trees and the cold night air. As his eyes parted, he saw in the distance that many homes had been lit on fire. The sound of screams could be heard. _

_He somehow knew which home was his and stepped from the forest in hopes of reaching it in time, except a hand grabbed his arm to pull him back. "What are you doing?" The little young boy stood behind him asked and Merlin looked at him with wide eyes._

"_I have to go back."_

"_They're killing anybody who leaves their homes. If you go back, you'd be walking to your death."_

_His heart suddenly tightened in his chest and he let out a yell as he fell to the ground, the stranger now knelt at his side, looking at him in concern. He was talking, Merlin could see that. Except all he knew was pain. It was in that moment that Merlin knew they were dead. Hunith had called him their Son, which meant those two people had been his parents. Now they were dead and there was nothing he could do._

_He barely noticed as the darkness surrounded him, his eyes simply watched the remains of his home burn to the ground and then there was nothing._

* * *

The next time he opened his eyes, Merlin was back in his current home, lying down on the bed, surrounded in darkness. As he pushed himself up, the grief he'd felt during the dream flooded back to him and tears fell down his cheeks. So he did have parents, the question was, why had he forgotten them until now? Someone had killed them and they'd sacrificed their lives so he could survive, his Father using the last remainder of magic he had to send him away. He hadn't even learnt his Father's name.

His hand shook as he ran it through his hair, what had happened that night? He remembered the house being on fire, the person yelling from outside that they must burn. Who could have such hatred in their hearts that they'd burn someone's home to the ground with the owners inside? Was it because his Father had magic?

As the sunlight began to beam through the window as the sun came over the mountain edge, Merlin squinted and knew what day it was. Arthur's Father was due to come home today, he'd been told this yesterday when Arthur had come to visit him during his recovery from using such a powerful spell, and it meant that today was the day he was meant to kill his first dragon. He'd been picked by the elder and now the entire island would be coming to watch.

What if the people he was trying to impress were the people who had murdered so many people all those years ago? They'd just forgotten the crime they'd committed or choose not to remember. If that was so, what he'd been feeling his whole life was a lie. He wasn't an outsider, someone who could come from another island or planet. There had been many like him, living amongst normal people, who had been killed for who they were.

He was the last of his people on this island and there was no way he was going to let the passing of his people go without punishment.

* * *

The sound of a crowd cheering was heard as Merlin made his way down to the arena, his hands clenched at his sides as he ducked under the gate and listened to the sound of it closing behind him. As he looked up at the people clapping their hands together, his eyes landed on the leader of the island and Arthur who was stood at his side. Uther looked interested in what was about to happen, clearly amused at the idea that Merlin could be the chosen one. Arthur looked worried, knowing that Merlin was unlikely to strike the dragon.

Not when he had been caring for Kilgh all this time.

When Uther got to his feet, it reminded him of the almighty beast back in the cave. Rising from the pits of hell to frighten it's followers, the moment Uther stood the people went quiet and he knew if they had wings, they would have flown away like the dragons had done. Uther wasn't someone you messed with. "Welcome one and all! I returned yesterday to be told that Merlin Emrys was the chosen one to kill his first dragon in front of us all. I take it I wasn't the only one who was shocked?" A small snigger came from the crowd.

"It is time for him to show me why he was chosen. I ask for you to remain silent and watch as he becomes one of the people." Uther nodded his head and a lever was pulled, pulling up a door that allowed a dragon to escape into the arena. At first the dragon hesitated and when it realised it was safe to come out, it's head poked from the cage, its eyes on Merlin as it came forward. Everyone waited for Merlin to go to the side and pick a weapon from the choices, however he didn't move. "Choose your weapon trainer," Uther demanded.

Merlin looked up at Uther and smiled, "I have no need for a weapon."

Confusion filled the stands as the dragon began to get closer to Merlin and Arthur took a step towards the wiring that protected the people. Just as the dragon reached him, Merlin looked back at the creature and let his expression soften. "You do not want to fight me," he said quietly but due to it being so quiet, everyone heard him speak. "I have caused you no harm and have no intention of doing so."

The dragon hesitated and tilted its head to the side in curiosity, clearly wondering why Merlin was _talking_ to it instead of attacking. "Attack!" Uther yelled from the stands and Merlin shook his head. Instead, he put out his hand and crossed the distance between himself and the dragon. A loud gasp came from the people as he put his palm to the dragon's snout and it settled down on the ground, seeing that it had no need to fight. Merlin was no threat to it. "What do you think you're doing! Kill it."

"Is that your solution to everything?" Merlin questioned and moved away from the dragon. Without saying a word, his body lifted from the ground and when he was eye level with Uther, he let his expression show his real feelings. "Do you kill those who are different from yourself?" He didn't even care right now that everyone could see him using magic. "Was it you who sent out the order to kill my kind all those years ago?"

"How-" Uther started.

"Magic," Merlin teased and glanced towards Arthur who looked nervously at his Father. Suddenly a loud cry came from below and he saw the dragon being dragged back into its cage, some dragon fighters now entering the arena. The dragon didn't deserve to be locked up. Everything deserved to be free. "How did you feel after you killed so many of my kind? Relieved? Happy? Satisfied?" Merlin asked as he looked back at Uther.

"I protected my people from those who would cause us harm."

"Oh you have _no_ idea just how much harm someone like me can cause," he said and all of a sudden, the magic seemed to seep out of him. A hand snaked out through the wiring and Uther held him by the neck, his feet hanging in midair as the magic no longer held him up.

"You think I didn't expect one of you pests to escape?" Merlin's eyes dropped to the gem glowing around Uther's neck and he knew that would be the source that had taken his power from him. It would have been how no person with magic had ever been able to harm him whilst they'd burned to death. He could take their powers from them without much effort. "You will burn like your people did and finally this island will be free of magic."

He was thrown away from the wiring and Merlin smashed to the ground. When he was lifted to his feet by two of the dragon fighters, he glared up at Uther, "You will pay for killing my people."

"Take him away!" Uther demanded and Merlin was dragged from arena. Not before he saw Arthur standing there in silence, letting him be taken like a criminal. Had he expected this? Warned his Father that Merlin might be something other then normal? He had acted like he would protect Merlin no matter what, now that he had a chance, he did nothing.

_I will make them all pay._


	12. Burning Homes

Merlin sat quietly in his cell as he heard the commotion up above him and sighed. He'd been a fool. Using his magic out in the open like that had been an idiotic move and now he would burn like his parents had. Uther would stand outside with his stupid necklace and he'd be powerless, normally the flames would be no threat to him however with no magic he wouldn't stand a chance of escaping.

His chest tightened at the thought of burning to death and he pushed the hair from his head, the chains around his wrists reminding him that he wasn't welcome in his home anymore. There were no friends here that he could turn to, no parents that could tell him everything would be okay. Merlin was alone in this.

At the sound of approaching footsteps his body tensed and he hugged his knees to his chest, making sure to stay in the shadows. He didn't want anybody to see him looking this weak. "Merlin?" A quiet voice broke the silence and he glanced sideways to see two hands gripping the cell bars. He didn't need to see the person's face to know who it was. "I know you're there, I can see you in the corner … you always did have trouble when hiding from me."

"Maybe you need to learn how to take a hint."

"Touche," Arthur replied and silence fell between them. What do you say to someone who let their Father imprison you? Arthur could have defended him, shown some kind of sign that he didn't want Merlin to be taken, instead he just stood there and let Uther's men take him away. "If there was something I could do I'd do it," Arthur muttered and Merlin glanced in his direction. "I don't have the power to over rule Uther, you know that. If I did you'd be out this very second … you wouldn't have even been captured at all."

"You're just making excuses to make yourself feel better when you think back on this. You'll remember how you watched me burn and tell yourself that you couldn't do anything." Getting to his feet, Merlin walked slowly towards the bars keeping him trapped and glanced at the necklace hanging from the pin outside his cell. "However right now you could be taking down that necklace and setting me free. I could escape this island with my dragon and nobody would ever know it was you."

Arthur looked over his own shoulder at the necklace and sighed, "You know I can't do that."

"Why? Will Uther somehow know that it was you who set me free? It could have been numerous people on this island trying to rebel against him or just help me. He can't execute you all without any firm evidence." Covering Arthur's hand with his own he gave a small smile, "Help me. Be a better man then your Father. Show me that I wasn't wrong about you."

He watched as Arthur leant his forehead against the bars and stared at him with a look he couldn't describe, all he could tell you was that it sent butterflies to his stomach. "Will I ever see you again?" Arthur whispered.

"I hope so," Merlin admitted. He hoped that one day he could return to this island and call it home, to walk free amongst the people and not feel so different. Until then he would stay away. Arthur seemed to come to a decision since he moved away from the cell and towards the necklace, his intention to remove it so Merlin could have his magic back to break free. However luck wasn't on their side.

"Good, you're here." Uther's voice said from the door and Merlin sunk back into the shadows to watch him claim his necklace which Arthur had been within reaching distance of. "I've decided it's better to rid our island of this sorcerer now rather then later. Who knows what tricks he has up his sleeves and I won't chance him harming our home." He clicked his fingers and two men entered Merlin's cell after unlocking the door. "I'd like you to stand by my side whilst this sorcerer burns to show the people your loyalty to them."

Merlin didn't have enough strength to fight off the hold of the two men when they began to drag him from the cell, one of which took the necklace from Uther to keep Merlin at bay, and he didn't get to hear Arthur's response since he was being taken out into the courtyard. He was then lead down the path into town where he was thrown into his home and locked inside. As he looked around his home he saw that it had been turned upside down and searched thoroughly for any signs of sorcery, they would find none. Merlin had not been taught magic, it had been instinctive.

Moving on from his destroyed furniture and belongings, he saw that his windows were barricaded and he didn't doubt in his mind that his back door was as well. He was trapped. There wasn't even any point attempting to escape since he could feel the power of the necklace just outside the building, forcing his magic to be shut off from him.

"Today we watch the last sorcerer burn to rid our island of evil that has haunted us for decades," short words and to the point. Uther wasn't wasting any time in getting rid of him. Pushing himself up to his knees, his eyes watched as smoke began to appear under the door and the memories of his parents death surfaced. How they had held him in his arms and somehow managed to get him to safety. That part he didn't understand.

How had his Father used magic when Uther no doubt had the same necklace he did now?

"_No magic can be bound when it is a part of you that no one can touch."_

Merlin frowned at the sound of a voice entering his mind, he recognised it but knew it to be impossible, there was no way Kilgh was here. He couldn't have reached the village without his help. His thoughts were unfortunately interrupted when a cough escaped him, the smoke thickening and his vision slowly beginning to blur.

"_Use the magic you know is yours to control. All you have to do is believe you can use it. Don't let him win."_

"Easy for you to say," Merlin muttered and his body fell sideways onto the wooden floor. Maybe it was better this way. He wouldn't have to hide anymore, he'd be able to see his parents again and there was a small chance he could be happy. That sounded a lot better then reality.

"_Don't make your parents sacrifice pointless. They died so you could survive."_

He felt his magic stir inside him and Merlin tried to grab hold of it, trying to use it to escape. Except nothing happened. He wasn't as strong as his Father had been, it was impossible for him to fight the power of the necklace, especially when he was surrounded in flames and smoke.

"_Arthur is waiting for you."_

This was Kilgh's last attempt to get him to break free and for some reason the knowledge that Arthur was waiting for him gave him enough strength to open his eyes, his magic now flowing through him and the next time he opened his eyes he was in a forest he recognised as the one his Father had sent him to.

Turning his head to face the village, his eyes saw the colour orange as he saw his home be consumed by flames and to everyone's knowledge himself. If he had waited another second he would have been trapped under the roof of his home and crushed to death, that is if the smoke hadn't suffocated him. Now all he could do was see how many people looked relieved that he was gone. See how many people had wanted him dead.

"The sorcerer is gone! We shall feast in celebration, everyone to the dining hall!" Uther yelled and numerous people cheered, except Will, Gaius and a handful of others who he could see glaring in the leader's direction. If only he could tell them he was okay however that wasn't possible. They all had to think him dead otherwise he'd be running for the rest of his life.

"Merlin," a soft voice said from above him and he turned his gaze away from the village to see a tall blond staring down at him. "I feared you hadn't made it out in time," he admitted and dropped to his knees so he could cup Merlin's face in his cool palms. "Are you okay?" As he asked his eyes scanned his entire body and Merlin managed to find the strength to raise his hands to cover Arthur's, his touch weak but filled with gratitude that Arthur was there. "I couldn't just watch you burn so I came to get Kilgh."

He heard movement beside him and glanced over to see Kilgh peering out from some bushes he was hidden inside, "How…" he began. There was no way Arthur got to Kilgh and back again in the time it had taken since Merlin last saw him. Not unless he had magic himself.

"Kilgh was already on his way. I think he knew you needed his help."

"_You should have called me."_

Merlin could hear the anger in his dragon's voice and smiled a little, he may have almost an entire village hate him but at least he had a dragon that cared for him. Plus an annoying prat that had gone against his Father to rescue him. "How did you know I'd be here?" Merlin managed to whisper and Arthur smirked.

"You can't hide from me, remember?" He brushed Merlin's hair across his forehead and Merlin could see the worry in his gaze, like he couldn't quite believe Merlin was here. That instead he was burning in the building that had now turned to ash. "We'll build you a new home," Arthur said quietly even though they both knew it to be a lie. He could never return here, at least not until Uther was gone.

"_We must go."_

Arthur couldn't even hear Kligh and yet Merlin was suddenly being pulled to his feet, the strong, tall blond now helping Merlin over to the bushes when he was helped onto the dragons back. In that small amount of time Merlin felt his magic returning to him and found the energy to sit up, his eyes now on Arthur who was glancing back at the village. "Go," he whispered quietly.

"No, I'm not leaving you. Who knows when I'll ever see you again," Arthur said with determination but Merlin simply put his palm to Arthur's cheek to keep him in place. "You can't make me go."

"I won't have you sacrificing your life for mine. You belong here with the people, until you rule over them I cannot return and when that day comes I'll be proud to be a part of this society. For now I will travel this island and remain hidden, that's the way it should be."

"_We need to go now."_

"Why do I feel like I'll never see you again?" Arthur asked quietly and moved closer so he was pressed up against Merlin's leg which straddled the quiet dragon. "How will I find you if I need you?"

"You have never needed me," Merlin whispered and without thinking he dipped his head to press a soft kiss to Arthur's lips. "I can never hide from you. If you find there's a day when you _do_ need me then you won't have to look very far, promise." Their lips met once more and then the sound of people yelling came from the village in search of Arthur. "Be careful. I won't be around to jump on dragon's backs to rescue you anymore."

"As if I'd need _you_ to rescue _me_," Arthur remarked and Merlin laughed under his breath. He watched as Arthur ran out to join the people he was no longer a part of and sighed, hoping he could come home soon.

"Go," Merlin told the dragon quietly and Kilgh began to walk through the trees since it would be stupid to lift off in plain sight. Where they'd go, Merlin wasn't sure. He just knew that he'd always be around if Arthur ever needed him.

Little did he know that that day was sooner then he thought it would be.


	13. Setting off

It was a week later when things turned upside down. Until then Arthur had been going through the days like normal and his Father had been satisfied that there was no longer magic on the island. So when he walked into his chambers to find Uther holding some pieces of parchment with a frown on his face that Arthur had only seen when they discussed Merlin, Arthur kept a firm grip on the door. "Is something the matter?"

"What are these?" Uther asked.

Arthur went forward a few steps and then froze when he realised what Uther was holding. During the late evenings Arthur had often found himself bored and drawing out the journey he'd made with Merlin on the dragon, revealing the location of the island where all the dragons resided. It had taken a few attempts and research but Arthur had found the bearings to set course for the island if he ever wished too.

Now his Father had the information he no doubt had wanted most of his life.

"Are you telling me you've known all along where they've been and not told me?"

"No! Of course not. I only discovered their whereabouts a little while ago with Merlin-"

"Of course you did, no doubt he lured them here for pleasure." Uther looked back down at the scribbles and smiled, "They wouldn't expect _us_ to attack _them_. This could be our chance."

"Father, you can't. There's a beast-"

"There are many beasts there, that's the point. If we attack at full force we could end this once and for all.'

"You don't understand-"

"You are to stay here whilst I'm gone, watch over the remaining people and await our return. We'll set sail immediately and be back in a few days by the looks of it. They've been living closer then I ever believed. This is perfect." Uther walked past him before Arthur could convince him not to go and within a matter of hours Arthur was watching over three dozen ships leave the dock. Heading straight for the home of the beast.

"Is it true?" Gwen asked as she came up behind him. "Have they really found the location of where the dragons live?"

"No Gwen, they've found something much worse."

"So what are we going to do about it?" Arthur raised an eyebrow in her direction in confusion, "You're not the type of guy to just stand around and do nothing. Is there anyway we could catch up to them?" He shook his head and sighed, they didn't even have enough people to sail a ship. The only people on the island were the women and children, along with people in dragon training but even then there were few.

"How did you get there last time?" Gwen questioned.

"It was by accident. Merlin was-" his words were cut off mid sentence when the thought of Merlin crossed his mind. He had never considered that Merlin might be able to help them. Unlike the remaining people on the island he had magic and stood a better chance against the beast then the rest of them. He could be their only hope at any of their warriors surviving. "We need Merlin."

"Arthur…" Gwen trailed off whilst she tried of a way to put her words delicately. "Merlin's gone. Your Father burnt-"

"He's not dead. I helped him escape and he said if I ever needed him I'd be able to find him." Arthur didn't notice the look of pity crossing across Gwen's face, to her he looked like a mad man looking for any possible way to save his people, even if that meant searching for a supposed dead person.

* * *

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled as he stormed through the forest and went towards the first place he'd thought of. Where he'd first seen the dragon that Merlin was no doubt with. "I need you now. Time to show yourself." He pushed back a final branch and appeared at the edge of a cliff, the large lake down below where he expected Merlin to be sat beside. "You better be down there, I really don't want to climb back up here by myself."

He slowly made his way down the cliff side and yelled, "Merlin!"

Only when his feet hit the ground did Arthur stop calling out Merlin's name, if he was around he would have heard it by now and no doubt would have come to his aid. As the disappointment filled him that Merlin hadn't kept his word, Arthur approached the water and knelt down at the edge to peer down into its depths half expecting Merlin to emerge with a grin on his face.

Fortunately for him it was only a few minutes that had passed when a sound could be heard overhead and he looked up towards the sky to see a large shadow quickly descending towards him. He threw himself sideways in fear that the dragon would hit his back with its talons and watched as it landed with grace, a familiar figure sat comfortably on top with a confused expression on his face. "Arthur?"

"The one and only," he leapt to his feet and walked over to stand in front of Merlin as he slid off his dragon. "Where were you? I've been waiting."

"I was only gone for half a day, you couldn't have been waiting too long." Merlin teased and went past Arthur to approach the water, his hand outstretched as he did so. Arthur watched with wide eyes as fish flew from the water and landed in front of the dragon who was quick to digest them. "What brings you here?"

"My Father," he stared and realised that probably wasn't the best way to start a conversation with Merlin. "He found the island where the dragons are and has taken most of the people there to rid our island of the dragons. I tried to stop him but he wouldn't listen. I need your help."

"What can I do?"

"Take me there, your dragon knows the way and I don't have enough men to sail a ship fast enough across the water. I know you don't want to help my Father but please help me, he's the only family I have and many innocent people will die." He waited for Merlin to say yes but instead was met with silence. "Merlin, please."

"Taking you there will make little difference on whether those people die or not. It's better you stay-"

"Are you seriously saying you won't help me? We could go there and you could use your magic to hold the dragons off so my people can get away. You could save them all. Show them that magic isn't evil."

* * *

Merlin glanced over at Kilgh who had been very quiet during this dispute and he willed him to speak, to tell him what to do. Of course he wanted to help Arthur, he didn't want all those people to die, but he had no idea how powerful that beast was and could very well be too powerful for Merlin to defeat. He also didn't want to risk Arthur going into battle when he could easily get himself killed. "I cannot help you."

"You said that you'd help me. They're your friends out there-"

"My friends?" Merlin turned his head to glance over his shoulder at the young man behind him, "Where were those friends when I was being burnt inside my own house?" When no reply was given Merlin gave a small smile, "And there's your answer." Walking over to Kilgh he crouched down and gently stroked his snout, finding comfort from the dragon from a mere touch.

"What do you want me to do Merlin? Beg? Cause I will if I have to." A low growl coming from Kilgh told Merlin that Arthur was coming closer. "_Please_ Merlin. Help me do this and I'll never bother you again. I'll leave you alone, you can leave with your bloody dragon and never come back. Just help me find this island and save my people."

"_So basically he wants your help and then has no further use for you."_

The words stung but Merlin found that he couldn't argue against them, Arthur was saying exactly that. He wasn't even trying to tell Merlin to stay afterwards. Infact he was pretty much telling him to bugger off. "Merlin, will you help me?" Arthur asked in a voice that Merlin knew would convince him and he sighed, pressing his forehead to Kilgh's snout.

"_Tell him no and we'll leave. I'll even show him who's boss before we go." _

"Easy," Merlin muttered and got to his feet. "I'll help you, after that I'm gone."

"Thank you!" Arthur exclaimed and grabbed his hand, pulling him closer with a smile covering his face. "Thank you Merlin, seriously, I will be forever in your debt." Merlin held his breath as Arthur brought their bodies together, "I am willing to pay it back in any way possible." It didn't take a genius to know what he meant and Merlin instantly backed away, his knees knocking back against the dragon behind him. "Mer-"

"We should get going, if we don't leave soon then your Father won't stand a chance." He moved around the dragon and climbed up into the saddle, "Come on then." Arthur seemed hesitant to join him and he rolled his eyes, for someone who was so desperate to face hundreds of dragons he wasn't showing much nerve by not being able to face just one. After what felt like a life time Arthur sat behind him and wrapped his arms around Merlin's waist, tighter then necessary.

* * *

"Arthur!" Gwen yelled as she saw him entering the ring and the others turned their heads to see the man himself approaching. With someone they thought dead right behind him. "Merlin?"

"Hey!" Arthur watched as Merlin rushed past him to greet everyone and felt a serge of jealousy go through him as he saw Merlin smile. Merlin hadn't looked that happy when he'd seen him. "How do you guys fancy riding a dragon?"

Before he knew it they were faced with five dragons that were calmly stood in a row after Merlin had lured them out of their cages. There was a dragon for Gwen and Lancelot, another for Leon, Sophie, Morgause and Gwaine. Arthur didn't know which dragon he was meant to share since Merlin hadn't allocated him one. It took some convincing to get the dragons to accept a rider on their back but soon enough Arthur was watching his friends being flown into the air.

"Arthur," his name was called and he turned to see Merlin waiting for him.

"What if we're too late?" Arthur asked as he took a seat behind Merlin. "Everyone could be dead, we could be doing all this for nothing." He didn't even notice when they took off, the other dragons quick to follow as they went up towards the clouds where they couldn't be spotted. "I may never see my Father again."

"He's alive Arthur," Merlin quietly replied and nothing more was said. He would know if Uther was dead because the huge beast would have awoken and Merlin would have felt it. Something that powerful would be furious if their home was attacked and Merlin was afraid of how it would react.


End file.
